On the wisdom of Gandalf
“I have not passed through fire and death to bandy words with a witless worm!”
Similar Posts
Conversations with people who aren’t Jessica
Me: “So there’s a guy with a baler on the shoulder of the road—” Big City Friend: “A what?” Me: “A baler, like a Haybuster. You know.” BCF: “A what?” Me: “A baler, a Haybuster baler!” BCF: “Are you even speaking English?” Me: “I’m describing a vehicle on the shoulder of a county road in…
The most important story you’ll ever tell
The most important story you’ll ever tell isn’t the one you commit to a page. It’s the one you tell yourself about your life. The other day, I was listening to a colleague tell me about the lack of support she was getting from her family as she pursued a freelance career. This is a…
A short interlude: parenting
“You’re being a pain in the ask,” my daughter Jessica tells me, and for a horrified moment, I think I’m going to burst into laughter. That’s not exactly how the phrase goes, of course, and there’s something endearing about my young daughter’s serious face as she says it. She’s trying to resist putting away her…
Jessica comes home
Jessica is home from the hospital. She was discharged over the weekend. I had a phone meeting this morning, and she expressed strong disapproval over my not giving her my complete and undivided attention. (“I just had major surgery.” “You were asleep.” “I might have woken up.” “If I don’t get some work done, we’ll…
On signs I didn’t heed
This was a sign on the wall near a cliff Jessica and I visited during our European adventures. Note that it is a very graphic representation of what could happen if you step too near the edge. Note that I disregarded the sign even after I took a picture of it. In other words, I…