Joe Novara
When dementia can help...sort of My next-door neighbor, Ethel, lives with her elderly sister. Come to think of it, Ethel’s not so young herself. “Mandy,” she said over the phone. “Could you come over to stay with Cheryl for an hour…two at the most? I need to get an oil change and run some errands. … Continue reading Twitter Tourettes
Recently I heard that the Bushmen of the Kalahari spend a mere fifteen hours a week gathering food. The rest of the time they tell stories and interact. That sounds like fun—a kind of early retirement for the whole tribe. More to the point, I wondered how a people could spend so much time telling … Continue reading Why We Need Stories
A bachelor uncle reaches out of the past “James…” “What Mom? Something bad?” “My brother Duane died.” I could hear her breathing over the phone. Actually, you could most always hear her breathing…her COPD. But this time it was more rapid than usual. She was not very close to her brother. But still at their … Continue reading Uncle Duane…cut to black
Two seminarians, Rome, mid 60’s go on a journey at a decision point in their lives Late September, my third year in Rome. I was in a funk. Another year of dry theology classes at the Gregorian University stretched before me. More importantly, the subdiaconate and the promise to live a celibate life loomed on … Continue reading A Watershed Vacation
My buddy Spalding and I sat in the front seat of his suspension-sprung station wagon staring up at 347 steps leading to the top of Mt. Baldy and the platform overlooking Lake Michigan. Spalding’s nephew, Deeter, stretched his skinny adolescent neck between us trying to follow the steps into the cloud level tree tops. “Neat!” … Continue reading Young Bull…Old Bull
Do we really want to connect with childhood friends? A call came in on their car Bluetooth. “Hey, Nino.” Anthony grimaced, cut a glance at his wife. No one had called him that since he was a kid, back in Detroit’s east side Italian neighborhood. Kathleen, raised an eyebrow, mouthed his new-old name. “Russ Amico.” … Continue reading Leave My Stories Be
“Let’s talk about this guy who ran a trout stream through his house. What if the Mayflies hatched all over his living room? Would he be able to dangle a dry fly from his easy chair?” “Stow it. All right, Scritch?” I pleaded with my buddy. “You’re the one who introduced me to talking.” … Continue reading Chatter Coach
