Memoir
In a moment of chaos, can you focus on what matters the most?
At my brother’s going away party, back in 1985, on the eve of his departure for a job in South Carolina, a large-ish group of us packed into The Trio Tavern, a crappy, neighborhood bar in Cleveland. (It may have been a crappy neighborhood bar, but it was our crappy neighborhood bar.) It was an … Read more
When Do You Get Comfortable Being Yourself?
When I was about seven, I was jonesing for a suede vest with fringes on it. That was kind of a big deal for me because day-to-day clothes were kind of drab in our family. Most of my shirts were hand-me-downs. I had two older brothers, and cousins up the street, and stuff got passed … Read more
Do You Know What it Takes to Thrive in this World?
In the most recent Picayune, I told the story of my car problems in Middle-of-Nowhere, Ohio and the not-so-friendly farmer who let me use his phone. It was after ten p.m. when the tow truck showed up. After some basic trouble-shooting, he dragged my car to the outskirts of Finley, where he had a shop. … Read more
When do you ruminate about childhood and when do you just move on?
My childhood was fine; I have little reason to complain: my parents were together and did their best for us, we felt loved, safe and secure. But there are some bad memories of dumb stuff I did that haunt me. I suppose some people can just shrug the dumb stuff off, and maybe that’s what … Read more