I always knew The Vanguard would be down stairs. Not sure how. Not even sure when it came into my field of vision. I just knew the music would be closer to subway trains.
Umbilical
An umbilical cord blood collection on May 17, 1996 might have changed my son’s life on May 17, 2021. William, my youngest child, will turn 25 years old on that day.
The curve of a single elegant line
The elegance of a family with calloused hands, house coats, tithing from nothing, fistfights for scraps, rose tattoos and Sunday dinners was captured in the crafting of a single line.
Five Boro Flamingo
It is all this experience that allows me to write well. That, and the ten thousand hours of practice that Malcolm Gladwell suggests is a prerequisite for potency.
Mistress and wife to the same musician
Wolves wait years for this Alpha to bend its howl into their darkness. Some succumb without every having heard the growl and sex. Those that have, never forget.
A python named Tom and a Toyota test drive
Satan himself was riding shotgun. The ride was uneventful but, as we pulled back into the lot, my door flew open and I shot out of the car faster than a bullet leaves a gun.
Sweetie pie and the sugary fire
During the same time frame described above, I was with my daughter when she smelled incense for the first time. Her nose wrinkle furiously, followed by the same instinctive and instructive hop.
A great artist doesn't need to leave a single great artwork in his wake
Lou Reed’s face was smashed against the Plexiglas door of a sheet-metal newsstand box at the corner of 61st Street and 9th Avenue. He had passed away seven days earlier.
Eleven effective ways to control the tempo of negotiations with a car salesperson
Satan himself was riding shotgun. The ride was uneventful but, as we pulled back into the lot, my door flew open and I shot out of the car faster than a bullet leaves a gun.
What to expect from the dealer trade vehicle evaluation
The act of evaluating a trade is part analysis, part psychology, part experience and, in the hands of a good assessor, can yield a significant profit. Like almost every aspect of buying a new car, the needs of the dealership remain fluid and can change quickly over a 24 hour period with one constant remaining throughout: yielding maximum profit.
Three stories being told at once
Further imagine that musician playing at least two of the instruments at one time, seemingly writing three different stories concurrently.
Thirty years away from the Blues
The Blues are born from sadness, and loss, just as assuredly as Jonny’s timbre is born of substantial knowledge, genetics and personal culture.
Ten hours in Madrid
I booked the least expensive flight I could find. Travel time between Philadelphia and Bologna was scheduled for almost one full day with a single eight hour layover in Madrid.
When life slows down to let you take a look
Time changed by slowing down noticeably, at the same rate the car sped up, until the driver saw the fascination in my face. Between the drumming, the engine stipple-staccato, the driver’s attention to my curiosity and the
The Buddhist Manager
Question: As a novice Buddhist and professional manager, how do I practice compassion for a problem employee?
The perfect, hopeful, subversive headbanger
I love this poster. Found pasted on the exterior window of an administrative office on the campus of The University of Freiburg, it screamed at me in an all too lovely way.
Scribbleheads
A woman in Missouri responded to my scribbled Hemingway photo by asking me what I had against Santa Claus.
Myth of the Knotdog
The debate surrounding the integrity of brown vs. yellow mustard became reminiscent of the feud between the Alphas and the Omegas.
Dream of the Zen Blue Hat
In my mind’s eye, the stacks appeared so close together as to barely allow two people to pass by without rubbing against one another. To sit together on the floor and read, one would need to scrunch up in a ball and block traffic.
Sleeping dogs and the power of forgiveness
Apologies can have an almost otherworldly power. To reach out, after having committed an error, recognizing that your behavior caused pain, can bring about a rare intimacy.