We are all exposed to statistics all the time. Among those are the “side effects” of medicines. I generally shy away from medicines. Statistics about the long term side effects have motivated me to reduce the one maintenance drug that was prescribed many years ago. Recently, I was advised to take the new shingles vaccine. The adverse side effects …
The owner of our auto body shop (doesn’t everyone with a car have “their” body shop?) has a thoughtful word of advice. “If it can be fixed with money, it’s not really a problem.” Think about it.
It happened twice last week. Someone waited to let me on the elevator first. “Age before beauty” he said. He was obviously younger. I joked with him in protest. Then, a few days later, a man held a door for me into a building. “Age before beauty” he said. Although younger, I didn’t perceive a great age difference. (Maybe my perception was off.) …
Many years ago, we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant with some friends. Our server came by and asked if we had any questions about the menu. Our friend said, “I’ve heard that the portions here are very small.” “Last time I’m ever going out to dinner with her” I said under my breath. That scene was in my mind the other evening when we were …
Our neighbors are fanatics about coupons — asking us to make sure that those hallowed sections of the newspapers are not sent to recycling without their review. I was somewhat skeptical about coupons until a few years ago when certain prescription medicines became over the counter and I noticed considerable savings being offered by certain drug man …
She was standing in the empty parking spot in Lenox, Massachusetts. I signaled that I was pulling in and she waved me off. My gesture of “Are you kidding?” was ignored. I parked around the corner. Saving a spot. The kind of behavior that might be expected in New York City. Might also get you killed. Unexpected in a small town in the Berkshire f …
I met her at my Mother’s. Like my Mother, she is a Holocaust survivor. Hers was a different journey… a different story. She was born in Germany in 1934. As a young child, she escaped to France and was moved to a children’s detention facility in Marseilles. Incredibly, her Mother found her in Marseilles. A ship was leaving for the United States. Mot …
We were having coffee at a little cafe. Small space. Couldn’t help but hear the conversation at the next table. One of the people was sharing a little issue she was having. Frustrated by her inability to find a solution. One of her friends offered the following: Your mind is like a TV. If you don’t like what your seeing, grab the remote and chan …
I have a plethora of T shirts emblazoned with names, messages and logos. Carefully chosen, assembled, maintained and stored over too many years. The messages they carry - some significant only for a moment - while others endure. Funny that one remembers every acquisition. Recently I’ve considered moving to plain t shirts. Then, over the …
Independence Day is one of those few holidays that will always be celebrated on the precise day of its origin —— July 4th. No changes to Monday for the convenience of a long weekend. Most years, however, Independence Day provides a long holiday weekend — either three or four days — to begin Summer. But, by my unscientific calculations, every six …
We had the pleasure of seeing Audra McDonald in concert at Tanglewood with the Boston Pops. Great venue. Great concert. When I listen to music that touches me, I usually come away with a lyric that stays. Mostly because the message is pertinent and special,although sometimes it is just an “ear worm”. Since last Sunday, the lyrics of Jule Styne, Be …
I hadn’t given it much thought in many years, perhaps once or twice in passing since my father died almost twenty years ago. In the mid-1960s, my father went to Germany to testify at a war crimes trial against former guards in the Plaszow concentration camp. When he returned, he didn’t say much. However, he did tell me that the map of the ghett …
There’s a “Corner Bakery” on the corner of North Capital and E Street in Washington, D.C. On most mornings, a homeless gentleman stands on the corner and wishes a “Good Morning” to passersby. I saw him last Saturday and Sunday. As I left the bakery with my coffees on Sunday morning, I gave the gentleman a dollar as I wished him a good day. As I wal …
Like my fellow Gothamite Al D’Elia (and I’m sure there are others) I went to Brooklyn Technical High School, one of the specialized high schools in New York City. Now there’s talk of eliminating the test for entry to these schools. Bills are being introduced in Albany - I’ve gotten several emails from the Alumni Association to “Save the Test”. Fro …
Home delivery of newspapers is not a concept of the past in our home. We still get home delivery of three newspapers. I have often thought about this as unnecessary and recently spoke to my brother-in-law about it. He also gets three newspapers - a local paper, the Times and the WSJ. Perhaps it’s an effort to get balance, perhaps just holding on t …
