friendship
C.S Lewis got it right: friendship is born when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"
Let Them Have Cake
Whoever designed my local grocery store was a complete moron. Fresh produce on one side, milk and eggs on the other, and an ocean of unhealthy but oh-so-delicious treats in between. What I wouldn’t give to be one of those skinny girls who can eat spaghetti and chase it with a milkshake and mysteriously lose two pounds the next morning. Hell, I would settle for being a size 10 who doesn’t get dirty looks when she grabs the extra stuffed cookies instead of the regular ones.
By Stephanie Walsh5 years ago in Humans
Juxtaposition
My most formative years were shaped by my mother and occasionally my Scottish uncles. They spoke "British" English, which is to say, they understood English like our brethren across the "pond". When they used the word 'juxtaposition', it was from the literal Latin and French, that is, the act of placing two objects side by side, or this near that. Even today, OED relies on this literal, juxta from Latin means nearby, and position from the French requires little translation as it is the same in English. I was an incorrigible child so I might have remarked on the juxtaposition of classroom desks or stores in a shopping plaza. Rightly, my elementary school classmates barely tolerated me. But, as I grew older, teachers would correct my misuse of the word. In America, juxtaposition is things/persons/ideas placed side by side to emphasize the contrast of one to the others – the hero and the villain, for example. I rarely commend American English on making improvements to an already robust British one, however this might be a good illustration. If I want to talk about you and me at a hockey game, to describe our arrangement as a juxtaposition is being haughty, superior, condescending to the listener. A simple, “we were sitting side by side” or even simpler, “we were together” will do the trick. Most people would paint the correct mental picture. This leaves juxtaposition without a home in England. Why would I use it as it serves no purpose except to annoy?
By Alexander J. Cameron5 years ago in Humans
Synapses
I’ll start by saying that this year, I’ve written more than I’ve ever written. I’ll start by saying that this year, I’ve experienced more than I’ve experienced in a long time. It is purely coincidence that the two were together. But a great coincidence. A therapeutic coincidence.
By Morgan Lucas5 years ago in Humans
Game Night
Bunco was quite popular years ago; it gave people (mostly women) a chance to get together and play a simple card came where players move from table to table within the host house to complete points on their card. To me, Bunco involved too many rules and too much math. But the game itself was secondary to the other part of the game; the sense of community, the transmission of gossip, and a shit-ton of food. Some of these groups have continued to do this for years, even decades. These devotees were serious about their game.
By Barb Dukeman5 years ago in Humans
Game Night
Bunco was quite popular years ago; it gave people (mostly women) a chance to get together and play a simple card came where players move from table to table within the host house to complete points on their card. To me, Bunco involved too many rules and too much math. But the game itself was secondary to the other part of the game; the sense of community, the transmission of gossip, and a shit-ton of food. Some of these groups have continued to do this for years, even decades. These devotees were serious about their game.
By Barb Dukeman5 years ago in Humans
Just Another Squatter
His name is Conrad & he’s my friend. He lives five miles north of town on the narrow, paved road leading to Nebraska & another two miles east over gravel & dirt. He has taken up residence in an old, abandoned farmhouse at the end of the road. He scavenges for things he needs, things we take for granted. We flip a switch; he sets up solar panels he’s acquired over the years to charge batteries for two hours’ worth of internet access on a computer so old it’s a wonder it still works. We turn on a faucet; he fills buckets with rainwater or from the irrigation systems so ubiquitous in our area. We head to bed; he heads to a pile of worn-out blankets on the splintering, bare wood floor of a room where, when it rains, it doesn’t leak too much &, when it blows, it only whistles through the cracks in the wall a little & rattles the dust-covered windowpanes.
By Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock5 years ago in Humans
Hilary Came To The Barn
Hilary and I crossed paths along Scotland's bonny plains. She was an unusual woman, whose husband had jumped off to death from a bridge near Perth. The area she lived in was a tranquil spot. Hilary had four crazy daughters who were all mature teenagers. They were not well behaved young ladies. Quite a handful in fact. It seemed to me Hilary dived in and out of romances. No pause before the next run. Out of the frying -pans into the fire. All her romances were the most dreadful kinds. Hilary took to buying a white horse. A cheap catch, to sooth her nerves. He was an old boy her horse, stocky type, far more reliable than her choices in romantic matters.
By Black Dog Productions5 years ago in Humans
