The mainstream message reminds us what’s not right in the world. It points out our failures. It accentuates our lesser moments. (Perhaps you’ve seen The Bachelor?) It can even shape our thinking by turning our focus to all that we seem to lack, particularly as individuals. For example, there’s an entire industry around weight loss. Which […]

My daughter says I’m particular about lighting. She says it’s because I’m a photographer. That definitely has something to do with it. Though photography is more of a hobby these days, Adeline’s right about the lighting thing. There’s a lighting arrangement for every mood. Which is typically low key for me, when I have a […]

I like my silverware drawer tidy. I like my drinking glass cabinet the same way. I prefer you didn’t touch my tie, mostly because of the natural oils on your skin. And it’s important to me that both the registration and inspection stickers on the windshield of my car are parallel to each other and […]

I have never found magicians interesting. The illusions aren’t appealing to me. And the hype seems empty. My curiosity isn’t stirred to learn how it’s done. I think because I know that it’s not real. So there must be some explanation for it. And if I knew that explanation I would realize it was slight […]

There’s a terrific scene in the Big Lebowski where Walter and the Dude are on their way to rendezvous with Bunny Lebowski’s kidnappers. The Dude has just been given a briefcase containing a $1 million cash ransom and a mobile telephone, circa 1991. He swings by Sobchak Security to pick up Walter Sobchak who is […]

I’m 18 and I’m using my friend Mike’s expired license to purchase beer. This is my first time. Mike isn’t here. I’m hanging out with some friends in South Buffalo. There’s this kid I know from going to punk rock shows and he lives in a house with his brother. I think they have a mom […]

Meredith has a new cookbook. In it is a picture of a woman mixing something in a sauce pan on a stove while holding an infant. This photo is opposite a recipe for bison chili. You see the back of the woman but the kid is staring at you over her shoulder. In the upper […]

Today is just another day. But somehow it’s not. It’s new. With a single strike we begin again. It’s a type of magic, it is. To come around to the same place. But it’s not the same place. And we ourselves have changed. Though we sense something familiar. We mustn’t let that weigh. Not more […]

Old things often take on new meaning. Like Christmas. It was one thing when I was a kid. It became something else as an adult. I couldn’t fall asleep on Christmas Eve. I can’t stay awake now. My favorite part about Christmas today is seeing the people that I love happy. To me, it’s peace. […]