A Not Very Stable Writer
Some promises are made with magic crayons and zero regard for arthritis. The other day I woke up feeling every bit of my age—closer to 70 than I was last year, and a few decades past my warranty. Still, I seem younger than some of my peers, mostly because I still pretend I can do … Read more
Living with joy, preparing for goodbye, and leaving a little less mess behind. I was watching The Resident the other night, a show that usually lands somewhere between medical drama and life philosophy in scrubs. One scene hit harder than I expected: a man, recently diagnosed with cancer, decides not to pursue chemo. His reasons … Read more
Isolated from the world, finally catching up. Day five of near-total isolation. A thick blanket of snow has quieted the Memphis streets, and a stubborn layer of ice keeps the world at bay. I can still hear distant life humming along the highway—but here, on my street, it’s hushed. No surprise knocks on the door. … Read more
(November 28 – December 11, 2022) When the Walgreens screen lit up “POSITIVE,” I knew my long-running streak of Covid dodgeball was done. After two years of caregiving, masking, and lecturing my grandkids on “Papa’s special germs,” the virus finally tagged me—24 hours before a scheduled colonoscopy, no less. (Silver lining: that particular probe got … Read more
The pandemic upended plenty, but one shift is still hiding in plain sight: millions of U.S. households have quietly pivoted to a “one-income boom.” Pay jumps at the lower end of the market mean families that once needed two paychecks—or three part-time hustles—can suddenly cover the basics with one. No wonder so many alarms keep … Read more
I’m at the dining-room table, mug in hand, watching a rare Southern snow glide past the window. From this warm perch I’m reminded—again—how quietly fortunate my life is. The Deck Show Just beyond the glass a gray squirrel is determined to commandeer the bird feeder. He stretches from the deck rail like a living bungee … Read more