life | Mostly Bright Ideas

Browsing All posts tagged under »life«

Dealing with a Wait Problem

September 12, 2014

I’m seated in my car. There is another vehicle in front of mine, a Toyota Corolla with a small dent just below the left tail light. The word Corolla on the back of the other car reminds me of corona, which is the fuzzy glow around the edge of the sun. I’m pretty sure it’s also […]

Recycled Energy

June 18, 2014

What is this thing that happens inside us? We look forward to something with such fervor that we can hardly bear the intensity. And then, sometimes within seconds of reaching the goal, we grow bored and tired of it, even acting as though we’d never wanted it in the first place. There’s that photograph in […]

When Men Were Boys

June 2, 2014

I can remember exact moments. It’s early afternoon on a Saturday, and we’re getting into our pale blue Chevrolet, a two-door Impala coupe. I turn sideways to squeeze into the back seat, then step onto the hump in the middle of the floor and drop next to the window on the far side. My father […]

The Quick Brown Fox

May 9, 2014

I waste a lot of time. So far I’ve gotten away with it, because there always seems to be another tomorrow waiting to replace the yesterday I spent cleaning my keyboard and counting deposit bottles and scrutinizing the checking account statement to identify that mysterious nine-dollar charge. Weeks, months, and entire years have vanished this […]

The Play’s the Thing

March 24, 2014

If I sit perfectly still and squint a little, I can venture back in time, through the dusty drapes of my memory to the early days of childhood. As the years contract and slide behind me, I feel myself shrinking, my arms and legs growing thinner, my mind releasing its vast collection of clutter. After […]

Tax Man

March 6, 2014

Three weeks ago, I began a temporary full-time job. The position requires me to meet with clients and interview them about their financial circumstances. Then I’m supposed to prepare their income tax returns, combining the information they’ve provided and my knowledge of intricate fiscal laws and regulations. It may not be possible to describe how […]

The “Let It Slide” Collection

November 12, 2013

Every year, as Catholic school students, we were sent out into the neighborhood on fundraising expeditions, wearing our uniforms and carrying cardboard suitcases filled with overpriced chocolate bars. It was my first sales job, and I was terrible at it. I’m pretty sure my Aunt Josephine bought the entire box every time, not because the […]

Dueling with Citizenship

October 26, 2013

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I’m an American citizen, a privilege I acquired decades ago when I was born in the United States. This year, I became a Canadian citizen, too, after filling out a long application, providing additional paperwork to prove that I exist, and paying a fee of several hundred dollars. I also swore my allegiance to the […]

Afterthoughts (Part 1)

September 9, 2013

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I think about the afterlife a lot, mostly because I no longer accept that there is such a thing. The wish is still there, but the conviction has vanished. This process of changing context, of moving from faith to doubt to skepticism, has been long and gradual. There was a time when I was thoroughly […]

My Brain in a Jar (Part 1)

December 22, 2012

Recently, fellow blogger Karen asked if I would consider leaving my brain to science. I was flattered by the question, until I realized that such a donation would have adverse effects on my health, and suddenly the idea didn’t seem quite so appealing. Also, science doesn’t spend much time on things it already comprehends, preferring […]