Suprise Me

Reader Advisory.  Iron Butterfly’s“In-A-Gada-Da-Vida,” and Simon and Garfunkel are referenced in this piece. If an earworm ensues, counteract it by singing “Bingo” (you know, “there was a boy who had a little dog and Bingo was his name-o…”) Snow days During grade school snow days, Chicky Ross, Danny Corsi, Tommy DiPetro and I used to… Read More

I'll let their stories speak for themselves, and for me. Read More

This is Ophelia’s first song. It’s not the mad one where she hands out flowers and says that all will be well. I knew that nothing would be well. Read More

Dear Mom and Dad, I wonder if you felt the same emptiness I did, when you dropped me off at college in the late 1970s.  I was standing at the entrance of my dorm at the top of a hill, watching as you drove off in the pickup and camper.  I don’t remember tears, but… Read More

Getting into good trouble can be risky. I wasn't sure which to be more afraid of, Covid-19 or Republican voter intimidation tactics. Read More

I needed something more reliable. My hours were irregular, public transportation spotty, and I lived too far from the hospital to walk.  And it rained and snowed.  Any car that ran would do. That, plus my general ambivalence, is probably why my first car was such a clunker. Read More

Ferdinand “Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.” So begins one of the most cherished children’s books of our time,  and my own childhood favorite.  The Story of Ferdinand,  written by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson,   was published in 1936 while across the… Read More

But for me [the moon landing] came with an equal dose of profound sadness. Read More

What Did You Do in the War,  Daddy? When our son was young he asked us if we were at Woodstock.  We had to say No,  but we didn’t have an answer when he asked,  Why not? He was disappointed and I’m sure we went down a notch or two in his esteem. He never… Read More

Hitch hiking has transformed from adventure to a warning about self preservation. Read More