When I was in my 20s I had a steel-trap memory, but that started to change in my 30s. As my memory became less reliable I felt increasingly at risk of embarrassing myself by forgetting to do something I had promised to do. That made me intensely interested in learning how to keep track of everything I was responsible for without relying so much on my memory…
Category: Personal
Gender-Neutral Pronouns
In principle I endorse the use of “they” as a singular pronoun when the gender of the person to whom it refers is unknown or irrelevant: “Ask each of the students what they want for lunch,” for example. Language experts point out that serious writers have been using “they” this way since the 1300s…
Dog-Sitting
This is Bonnie, our next-door neighbor’s dog. We’re taking care of her for a few days while our neighbors are traveling.
We have a dog of our own, Riley, and having Bonnie here provides a study in contrasts. While Riley will ignore food in his bowl for hours at a time, Bonnie may be the most food-motivated dog I’ve ever known . . .
Fourth of July in Our Neighborhood
“He’s walking!” That was my wife on seeing the little boy up the block, toddling along next to his mother, one of her fingertips firmly in his grip. The last time we’d seen him, before the shutdown, he’d been in a stroller. The occasion was an informal neighborhood promenade . . .
A Commitment to Community
My wife Jennifer has a singular commitment to community. I realized this early in our relationship when I discovered that she’s the kind of person who would volunteer to drive a neighbor to the airport. Today we live in an unusually neighborly neighborhood. There’s a homeowners’ association that organizes well-attended social events throughout the year,…
I Was Snookered; Amazon Saved Me
Yesterday I got an email from a friend of mine — I’ll call her Rebecca —asking, “Do you have an Amazon account?” I wrote back saying, “Yes. What do you need?” Rebecca replied that her Amazon account wasn’t working for some reason, that it was her niece’s birthday, and she wanted to send her a…
Rehearsing What I’m Going to Say
I was in line at an ice cream shop several years ago getting ready to order. Once I’d decided what I wanted, I started mentally rehearsing how I was going to articulate my order when I got to the front of the line . . .
The Best Thing About Being Retired
When I compare notes with friends about what books we’re each reading, I sometimes remark that having lots of time to read is the second-best thing about being retired. The first time I said that, I was sure the other person would ask, “So what’s the best thing?” But they didn’t, and in all the times I’ve said it since, no one ever has. Nonetheless, I’m quick to volunteer the answer . . .
It’s Time to Connect
I wrote previously that I miss visiting people, but I’ve nonetheless accommodated to the constraints imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve gotten pretty darn comfortable with the monastic life — perhaps a little too comfortable. I find I’ve been falling out of touch with many of the people I used to visit or talk with from time to time . . .
Small Talk
My wife Jennifer is one of those naturally outgoing people who can quickly and easily strike up a conversation with a stranger. Back in the days when we would pull up at a toll booth and actually hand money to a human being, I was consistently amazed at how Jennifer would make a friendly connection with the toll collector in the time it took him or her to make change . . .