To their own well-being

Commit themselves to their own, each other’s, and the group’s well-being. True: I cannot schedule a colonoscopy. I am apt to report that the challenge in doing this is the scheduling process itself, but I suspect that may not be the only reason. For the past several years I was reminded at my annual check-up…

Themselves

Commit themselves to their own, each other’s, and the group’s well-being.   Community is said to emerge when people engage in common practices, make decisions together, depend on one another, and commit themselves. I confess that it is this last word — themselves — that snags me most consistently in the definition. Perhaps a clue to…

Commit

Commit themselves to their own, each other’s, and the group’s well-being.   This weekend I tried to remember the last time I promised to do something. I am not referring to showing up when I say I will or paying my bills. Both of those are promises of a sort, though I rarely call them…

Narrative of greed

One’s disturbed by stalled career, talking louder than  the man he is with. Over coffee they lament their need to avoid the sad legless man. Their narrative calls unappreciated work “The cause of my pains.” One snaps his fingers — Was it the O of my mouth That brought his “Faggot!”? Or did my face…

I don’t used to any more

Paul and I had scores of favorite phrases that we’d use with each other repeatedly. The origins of some of the expressions are lost in the mist of time. Others were born in our childhoods and the circumstances of their first iteration were vividly etched on our corneas and brains. Among them were the following.…