When Ulan's nine-year-old sister needed her appendix out, you'd be surprised what his parents were required to do to ensure a successful surgery.
Sheep for Surgery
The Ride
It was 5:00 AM. Friends of ours were leaving for the States, and we had agreed to take them to the airport. At its best, the drive is absolutely dreadful. It's especially so at 5:00 AM. (But I'm quick to throw anything taking place at 5:00 AM in the "dreadful" category.) See, from where we … Continue reading The Ride
All The Things That Shouldn’t Be But Are
Bazaar workers shouldn't have to work all day long for peanuts. Their fingers, toes, and noses shouldn't freeze from the cold trapped in all the concrete and metal shipping containers that surround them. They shouldn't try to milk you for every last cent. Yet they do. A service called Drunk Taxi—no joke—shouldn't be a thing. … Continue reading All The Things That Shouldn’t Be But Are
So You Want Your Master’s Degree?
The young man across from me was enrolled in a master's degree program in engineering at a state university. His story was not exactly one that warmed the cockles of my heart. "I went to talk with my thesis adviser," he said. "He told me that our dissertations are due in June. He said that … Continue reading So You Want Your Master’s Degree?
Moving On
I wished with all my heart my friend was lying to my face. I looked him in the eye. He was telling the truth. "Last week I woke up one night with a really bad pain in my stomach. It was about two in the morning. I woke my wife up and asked if she … Continue reading Moving On
Our Fingers Didn’t Freeze and Break Into Little Pieces
This past weekend temperatures plunged to -15 degrees F (-25 degrees C). We turned our gas furnace up. Then we turned it up again. We got dressed and put our bathrobes back on. Our friends asked if we could reschedule the get-together we had planned for Sunday because of how cold it was and because … Continue reading Our Fingers Didn’t Freeze and Break Into Little Pieces
We Still Haven’t Lost Our Faith
Laura sat down at Magonlia's table in her one-room home. She pulled a pregnancy test out of her backpack and told Magnolia that if she wanted, she could take the test right now. Magnolia accepted and headed for the outhouse. The woman's three-year-old daughter was enjoying a persimmon that Laura had given her, and her … Continue reading We Still Haven’t Lost Our Faith