A 12-year-old girl and her grandma walked into the clinic. The receptionist handed them a clipboard with a short form to fill out and told them to take a seat in the waiting room until called by the nurse. When it was their turn, Laura opened the door that led into the doctor's office and … Continue reading Where Malpractice Insurance Isn’t a Thing
He Who Looked On
"Nose against the cardboard, he still smelled each sibling's scent." The tale of the one left behind. Click to read more.
Special Announcement: Poems are Stories, Too
Poems can be stories, too. It didn't dawn on me until recently, but in one of those rare moments of clarity, I just saw it. I've written poems for years, and—duh—some of them have been just as narrative as can be. And so, we though we'd share some with you. Some are appealing. Others dabble … Continue reading Special Announcement: Poems are Stories, Too
They Make Me Rich
A word that flies high over these past four years of my sojourn here in Central Asia is the word loneliness. It's a monster I was not at all prepared to face. The monster came anyway. Turns out he's a hard one to chase away. Every last human being senses a deep-seated need that is … Continue reading They Make Me Rich
Wisdom from the Bathroom
Our bathroom has more scars than it should for a bathroom of its age. That is, it's a lot like the people here. When we moved into our house, there was no indoor toilet or shower. We had an outhouse and a shower head hooked up in what used to be a sauna room sitting … Continue reading Wisdom from the Bathroom
We Need a Savior
In what Marvel movie has the earth ever saved itself? When has mankind (I'm speaking as a whole) ever looked within, dug deep, and defeated the monster just in time for the ending credits to roll? I've counted. That's happened exactly zero times. The superheroes save the earth. The deathblow is dealt by someone who … Continue reading We Need a Savior
High Speed Life
I hoisted our duffle bag up on top of the roller suitcase, took a deep breath, and started off toward the airport terminal. Thankfully we weren't flying, just returning a rental car and then taking the subway to the train station. If be spared that nightmare (the nightmare of flying) for another four days. Together … Continue reading High Speed Life
Don’t Forget to File Your Paperwork
Laura had made an appointment to get the thing from the place for the thing. (That's about the level of understanding I'm at when it comes to these sorts of… well… things.) It was 10:30 AM, and we were headed to the city for the 11:00 AM appointment. Laura was driving, and because she was … Continue reading Don’t Forget to File Your Paperwork
Even the Simplest Story
I sat across the table from one of my English students at a coffee shop. A book called All New Easy True Stories: A Picture-Based Beginning Reader was opened between us. The stories contained in the book are high interest stories taken from real life and retold in simplified English. Illustrations accompany every couple of … Continue reading Even the Simplest Story
What’s Holding Up the World
We were driving over a bridge on a highway. Trees painted the broad valley below us in rich shades of green. It was then, looking at the trees, that I realized the reality of what was happening to me, optically speaking. I shouldn't have been able to see the trees. Vertical supports lined the length … Continue reading What’s Holding Up the World