Stories scare those who haven’t even read them — Which writer is more dangerous, Ernest Hemingway or Hellen Keller? ‘Dangerous,’ you ask? The Old Man and The Sea? What about Optimism? Absurd, right? Maybe don’t answer too quickly before reading about the May 10, 1933, book burnings in Germany. These two authors were among the 25,000 ‘un-German’ volumes thrown…

Candles are ancient artifacts that still offer much to our lives — As essential and valuable as candles are, we still take them for granted. A thread wick surrounded by slow-melting wax offers a small flame lighting the darkness. Don’t touch that flame. It is fire and hot. But I bet you knew that. Conservative estimates based on archeology assert humans first…

When do you stop aging and become just plain aged — Will you still need me, will you still feed me When I'm sixty-four, um, eighty-four? Thank you, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, for those timeless words (to which I've added my paraphrase.) I loved it when I first heard them when I was still in my twenties. I remained enamored…

It turned out to be a party in her memory with tears and joy — In an ironic twist, my wife's mother died four days before her 100th birthday. We had grand plans and preparations to celebrate, a vast invitation list, the main dining room reserved, and food galore. But it didn't happen that way. She would have been 100 on August 29th. …

Do we have to call each other names that might not apply — The last thing I would suggest is a false 'color blindness,' but wouldn't it be fun to see simply 'people?' So this little essay is more a fantasy than advice. Here's hoping you read it that way. Right-winger loudmouths spew a fear of 'alphabet soup' as if memorizing LGBTQ+ is…

Phobias often distract us but may also protect us. — Here is a little lesson in zoology. Arachnids are everywhere. Wikipedia tells us: …there are 50,356 recorded species of spiders in 132 families….Spiders are found in nearly every land habitat….Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except for Antarctica, Here's hoping that just reading about these tiny web engineers doesn't…

Fears about aging: Crow's Feet Prompt #38 — When I met my wife, I was a newly licensed private pilot. This rookie aviator barely knew what he was doing, but that didn't deter her. She was enamored of me and sat beside me as we buzzed over the landscape. In the early days of our marriage, I was…

Aging doesn’t mean we have to stay in our ruts — “If you feel stuck, move. You’re not a tree.” ― Germany Kent It is inordinately crucial that I impress my dental hygienist. There. You now know another of my nutty quirks. Little obsessions possess me, but that’s not all bad. My mother took me to a dentist when I was…

So what if my survivors have to clear away all my stuff — There are too many dress shirts in my closet. More than a couple would be more than I need. But so what? I will die soon, but if it is tomorrow, it will be disappointing since I plan to see the Blue Angels perform. If that is my fate, someone…