-
It’s Time We Talked About Them
Now, some might say I’m a stickler when it comes to the liberal use of pronouns. And, I’ll concede that perhaps the moniker is earned. The topic of pronouns is appropriate to Mother’s Day as my mother was ever vigilant regarding our grammar. In my defense, I’m less a proponent of the conservative use of pronouns and more an advocate for clear communication. In a world where our exchanges are often stripped of non-verbals, emotional tone, and, in some cases, semi-silent letters (e.g. thx, tho, thru), it’s never been more important to avail ourselves to the remaining tools and rules of effective discourse. Pronouns, like other short cuts, are born of familiarity and…
-
The Force
“Luminous beings are we…not this crude matter.” – Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back Who wasn’t enthralled by the Star Wars movies growing up? The decade in which you were born dictates which trilogy first captured your attention. While the franchise itself is cinematically exceptional in its own right, it would never have made the cultural impact it has if it weren’t for the fundamental human struggle that is represented in each installment. Not one of the characters central to the plot is exempt from some internal discord or, at the very least, dissonance between behavior and beliefs. It is this tension that makes the stories so accessible and beloved. And no one…
-
The Tulips
Another poem appears to have written itself. The Tulips The tulips have come up again Carefully sprinkled throughout the yards along the street in clumps of frilly pink. Rows of gentle yellows and creamy whites line the walkways. The vacant lot turned park by a gentleman bachelor is fronted by a vibrant cacophony. Its variety is antagonistic to the guileless lawn it embellishes. With a disparate nature that reflects the push and pull of hungry hearts, Unanswered questions, and an eternal yearning for spring, They stand for a moment. A brief diverting beauty even as their edges curl.
-
The Matter of Motives
Living with others, there are hundreds of opportunities daily to be of service to someone else. I was reminded of this recently when I saw my neighbor running awkwardly behind her young son as he bravely joined the world of cycling without training wheels. We peel carrots for lunch bags that aren’t ours. Walk dogs and fill gas tanks that aren’t ours. Why? Somebody’s got to do it, right? Like mowing the yard. Or because it just needs to be done–like the laundry needing to be washed. Perhaps it is because people deserve to be honored. Even in simple ways. Consider that something as seemingly impersonal as shoveling snow or doing yard work has…
-
Come and Get It
The shared meal elevates eating from a mechanical process of fueling the body to a ritual of family and community, from mere animal biology to an act of culture. –Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto There is something remarkable that happens when people eat together. While we share our thoughts, feelings, and waffle fries, we connect. We become known to one another in a more intimate and familiar way. The fancy term for this is building social capital. It happens by degrees, running the gamut from a quick lunch in the corporate cafeteria to working shoulder to shoulder in grandmother’s kitchen at Thanksgiving. (The kitchen in every home…
