Clarify who I am: a believer, a list-maker, a writer
While taking notes at Saturday afternoon’s neighborhood association meeting, I asked questions to clarify, that is, to understand the statement or situation more clearly. Being the secretary-treasurer, I wanted to be sure that the minutes were comprehensible to...
Anticipate, like you’re leaning into the music, and watch me.
Here at Vanaprastha, we anticipate winter by leaning into fall and watching. See the red-tipped maple, the turning leaves of the Virginia Sweetspire, and the berry-laden Cranberry Viburnum. How else do we anticipate? Anticipate as a verb: to be earlier than During...
Attempt, essay, make an effort to achieve what we aspire to—or not
With the outbreak of war in Israel, an attempt at peace seems difficult if not impossible. And yet we pray, make the effort, and try. Such is the case in all we do, right? Attempt: to essay, make an effort to achieve or complete something difficult Last...
Copy: a single specimen, transcript, reproduction, or imitation
“Here’s my book,” Keith said as he handed a copy of his novel The Starflower to the appliance technician. Our oven heating element had broken, and the damage from the resulting explosion was beyond our DIY abilities. Plus, it was fun to chat with this guy, because...
Boomer opinion, Gen Me opinion, all generation truth
Here’s a blast from the past story about my personal opinion versus his professional opinion, both generation opinion biased. My boomer generation opinion It was 1991, and I was carpooling two bunheads to after-school ballet class. “Hey Jessica, did the self-esteem...
We cannot escape misfortune, mistakes, or aging, but we can escape confinement
An escape from hurricane Lee for us, thanks be to God, though we could use the rain. What else did I escape? To escape misfortune Two days before Christmas last year, I hit a deer. My son and I were traveling along a dark stretch of road no more than three minutes...