My string of days off began with a bike ride, weightlifting, reading the New Yorker lazily on the sofa. A friend I hadn’t seen in years came over for coffee. We had reconnected after they received a life-altering diagnosis (something that is becoming more frequent among my peer group). Interestingly, health was a minor part of the overall conversation. It …
A Morning Of Abundance
I awoke with no alarm shortly after 5am today. A few stray beams of light crept into our bedroom at the edge of curtains and blinds, set to birdsong that was cheerful chaos. A chimney cap came off in a storm, so the Mockingbird that considers our house its territory likes to sing atop the chimney for maximum amplification within …
Intergenerational Friendships
In half an hour, I’m having coffee with a friend who is closing in on his 80th year. He’s a physician I respected back in the days when I was the voice in the middle of the night requesting his help in caring for a patient – always kind and good-humored, never shot the messenger. I’ve gotten to know him …
Second Chances
A morning worth remembering. Yesterday a large swell hit the coast. I woke up early (without an alarm!) and was one of the first handful of guys to paddle out at my local spot. It was a tough paddle, chest to head high, and unfortunately my leash broke before I made it into the lineup. I had only the one …
I Heard It Before I Saw It
I Heard It Before I Saw It It was a slightly overcast end to the day, an early evening on the coast. I was taking out the trash – the last thing I expected was a moment of wonder. Then I heard the call for the first time in a year – it could only be a hooded oriole. An …
The Accumulation of Marginal Choices
A couple of mornings ago, as I took a final sip of my daily espresso, I noticed the dishwasher was full of clean dishes. I was thrust into the position of making a small but telling decision. Why does my reaction to a dishwasher full of clean dishes translate into a referendum on my character? For much the same reason …
Stuff
We have always been a family of collectors. When we were young, and traveled to Mexico frequently to visit family, my dad took great pleasure in bargaining with street vendors for “ironwood” carvings. My parents’ home has approximately twenty such carvings – display shelves full of multiple copies of graceful sea turtles, sleek dolphins, curved seals and numerous other creatures …
A Good Mid-Life Crisis
It’s the first swell of the autumn that’s above knee high, and I find myself in a lineup in cold water with a handful of dudes. If I had to guess, these surfers constituted what remained of the precocious puberty crowd from high school – they shaved more at age 14 than I do today, and were socially popular – …
Unexpected Hope: Life Always Finds A Way
As you’ve figured out, dear reader, there’s been a bit of sadness prevailing over my mood for the last few weeks, which is why this morning offered me an extraordinary symbol of hope. To understand, I must begin with an oblique explanation: I am an unrepentant Californian. As such, I have evolved dietary preferences for which I employ terms that …
On Observing And Suddenly Finding Yourself Cut Off
I recently read an article in the New Yorker by Heidi Julavits. On the surface, it was an exploration of an active volcanic eruption in an accessible area of Iceland not far from the capital of Reykjavik. The article accomplished many of the goals of excellent nature writing. It faithfully reproduced difficult to spell Icelandic cities. It delivered a sense …