Month: July 2015

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Changing a Tire

I can’t change a tire. This much is true. I’ve seen it done several times before, but it’s apparently not one of those things that can be attempted without an actual lesson in it. On our honeymoon in Ireland, on a Sunday, there was a bit of a pothole, and we lost our wheel trim, … Continue reading Changing a Tire

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One Headlight

“There’s got to be something better than in the middle. But me and Cinderella, we put it all together. We can drive it home with one headlight” ~The Wallflowers It was spring, 1997, and I was working hard at the campus library, even though I was on academic probation. None of the other workers knew … Continue reading One Headlight

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These Front Doors

Front doors are for show around here. In winter the wreaths come out and adorn them, sprucing up their usually lifeless bodies for a month or two before going back into the attic for another year. Summer brings a fresh paint job — sometimes white, sometimes blue — and as people pass they gasp in … Continue reading These Front Doors

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Brevity of Words

I find it hard to be succinct, even when I know that sometimes it’s best. Which is funny, because as a teacher I’m often telling my students to stop being so wordy, especially with so much filler they like to throw around like confetti. And I guess that’s the real difference between them and me. … Continue reading Brevity of Words

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Holding the Reins

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” ~George Bernard Shaw When I was 15 I thought I was on the verge of finding myself, on the precipice of some huge realization and ready to jump out into the abyss, hoping my feet hit solid ground without folding. I was convinced that wisdom … Continue reading Holding the Reins

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Tara

Solitude. That’s what I feel when I think of Tara, that solitary hill in the middle of flatlands, that lush green countryside that seemed unreal even while we stood on its surface. And while the multitudes of sheep moved past in herds, making low sounds deep in their throats, we stood there and soaked it … Continue reading Tara