A student came to my office, looked around my office. As he crossed the threshold, his step faltered. I turned to see what had caused his reaction—he was staring at my calendar, a Jewish calendar with a big Star of David emblazoned on it. Curious, I scrutinized him, searching for a clue that would explain … Read more
Shoes off. Coat and hoodie in the bin. Wait. My belt—I whip it off, roll it up, and tuck it under the coat. I check my pockets. Oh yes, liquids—I pull the ziploc bag out of my backpack. I think I’ve got it all. Oops, the iPad. I sigh as I reach over to get … Read more
Is this it? Have I finally found that elusive magic pain killer? Living a full life comes at a price. Among many other symptoms, I suffer from extreme fatigue and debilitating headaches. Spending my life hiding a darkened room is not an option. I will not surrender to my damaged brain. I recently returned from … Read more
I paused, took a deep breath, then read through the problem again. It still looked like a tangle of black yarn with no beginning and no end. Okay, okay, I can do this. Line by line. Sentence by sentence. I read the first sentence: “An island is 2 miles due north of its closest point … Read more
I pulled away from the gas pump— Klunk! I looked to Joyce. “What the hell was that?” “I think that must have been the nozzle.” I drew a blank. “What do you mean it was the nozzle? Which nozzle?” Joyce shrugged. “The gas nozzle. I guess you forgot to take it out.” My inner volcano, … Read more
I thanked my Facebook friends for their good wishes. “You’ve warmed the cockles of my heart.” scrolled down some more and logged out. Eyelids heavy, I put my phone down, and rolled over. I was confident I’d get back to sleep. I sank into my pillow, relaxed my muscles one by one, and focused on … Read more
On the phone to my friend, Cindy, voice quivering, occasionally leaking tears, at one point sobbing, I hoped for some answers. What was going on? Why was I so upset? When I noticed that over the last couple of weeks I occasionally became weepy for no apparent reason, I thought that hormones, or exhaustion induced … Read more
He wore his favorite jeans, soft with wear, in contrast with his white button down shirt, chafing at the collar. He almost raised his arm to ease the discomfort at his neck, but it was safer to stay still. There was nothing to differentiate him from the men blocking his way, except for the shoes. … Read more
Hot dry air slammed into me as I exited the cinema. My brain, heavy, pressed against my skull, cutting off my neural pathways. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move A thought, sluggish, rose in a thick bubble to the surface of the thick soup that was my mind. It became recognizable when the bubble popped … Read more
Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/flash-thunderstorm-super-cell-2568383/ I remember standing with Mum at the window, watching a thunderstorm. I remember oohing and aahing over the light show. Taking fierce joy in the pouring rain, the glorious lightening preceding the crash of thunder, I forgot my brothers and my mother beside me. At one point, shortly after the show began, Mum … Read more