Fred Rogers and his neighborhood exposed my secret skeptic. Perhaps it is the Virgo in me, or a tendency learned in my family of origin. But I am a doubting Tomasina. Will trust. Must verify. No one can be that nice, I thought, while watching Liz watch Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. My preschool daughter kept her appointment each weekday … Continue reading It’s a Beautiful Day for a Neighbor
Category: Musings
Creating yourself as a Character
In his free-wheeling essay, “The Meek Shall Inherit the Memoir,” writer Harrison Scott Key describes his reluctance to write life stories, afraid he might be considered a narcissist or a bore— “I mean, who did I think I was? Who would want to read about me? . . . How do I map the expressionist strangeness of my inner life … Continue reading Creating yourself as a Character
The Problem of Happiness
Ordinary people write what is commonly referred to as the “nobody memoir.” We lack the plot line of celebrity. No rags turned to riches. No lonely child turned superstar. We are still working on, the arcs of our plots. Neither famous nor infamous, the typical “nobody memoirist” describes the most intense incidents of a lifetime. … Continue reading The Problem of Happiness
Well-behaved Bunnies Rarely Make Literature
“She’s going to be a great adult.” This nugget of wisdom, offered by my daughter’s 4th grade teacher during a school conference, was a comfort. Few teachers had recognized the diamond within my daughter’s core. Liz was not sweetly compliant, as most girls seem to be. She “questioned authority” before it became a bumper sticker. … Continue reading Well-behaved Bunnies Rarely Make Literature
Start with the Squirrels
Lately, I have been thinking about the memoir my father never wrote. I see him in his beige leather recliner, legal pad in lap, poised to scribe a remarkable life: from Depression era chicken farm to college, to a tuberculosis sanitarium, and then back to college— emaciated and still getting pneumothorax treatments. He was one … Continue reading Start with the Squirrels
On Misremembering
Here is how I remember the scene. My nine-year old daughter has fashioned a muslin prairie bonnet, the kind Laura Ingalls Wilder would have worn. She will dress as a pioneer for the school Thanksgiving program, where teachers will showcase costumed students for adoring parents and extended family. “Look mom!” she says, modeling the bonnet. … Continue reading On Misremembering
Moscow Underground
"Why Russia?" was the question frequently asked when we announced our upcoming trip. Because it is a very old country; Because John loves Russian literature; Because it is our 30th anniversary, and we want to do something amazing. Safety? No worries. We’ll be going on a cruise. Three meals a day, interpreters, a soft bed with … Continue reading Moscow Underground
Mind the Gap
Live Free and Laugh
I have always considered myself an optimist. So, I had tired of my young daughter’s daily complaints each afternoon when she climbed into the back seat of the car after a grueling day of 3rd grade. Before she could describe the unpleasantry of playground politics, I instructed her to tell me one good thing. “The … Continue reading Live Free and Laugh
A Welcome Eulogy
Dear Reader, Once again, we've survived that time of year when we are to relax and enjoy life, loved ones, and humanity in general, while squeezing into the doors of overcrowded big box stores. One tradition, sometimes mocked, is the annual Christmas (aka holiday) letter. I'm a big advocate of the well written holiday letter. … Continue reading A Welcome Eulogy
