No. 14: What Not to Write in Your College Essay
Early admissions applications are due next month so high school seniors all over the country are writing their college essays. My niece is working on hers and that got me thinking about the college essay I wrote 33 years ago. / Mine was a puffed up version of winning a cross-country race. The essay highlighted my most […]
No. 12: Miami Caste System
“MIAMI CASTE SYSTEM” (IN THE HAVEN) Dear Ivette, I noticed you planted a hedge on the swale between your swale and our swale. I noticed you didn’t plant a hedge on the other side, which makes this hedge feel very aggressive. Also, you have to admit, your lawn is awkward now.
No. 11: Jews for Mary
“JEWS FOR MARY” (IN P.S. I LOVE YOU) When I came out 27 years ago, it wasn’t easy for my Jewish mother to accept her lesbian daughter, but along came a bigger threat: I married a Catholic. / My mom called one night and without even saying hello she said, “Vicky’s religiosity is gonna seep into […]
WHAT ARE THESE NUMBER ESSAYS ABOUT?
I’m a slow writer. I want to write better. I want to write faster. And like Marianne Williamson says, I have one last chance to get it right. Because there’s no time like the present; because turning 50 is better than the alternative; and because you only live once, I’m going for it. This year, […]
No. 9: Controlled Burn
Last Saturday I went to a conference for artists and entrepreneurs. During one of the sessions, a panelist talked about his struggle with anger. He said, “Some days I feel like I’m spewing fire and I wonder if I’m burning myself the most.” / There was a collective moan from the audience, a group of like-minded […]
No. 7: Hypocritical, Self-Riteous Closet Case
Two years ago, when our daughter, Tashi, was 12, the whole family was invited to a Bat Mitzvah at the synagogue where she went to elementary school. She was in 7th grade at that point, but all her former classmates would be there, which sent Tashi into a panic. She had trouble falling asleep the […]
No. 6: Full Circle
I’ve known the necklace my entire life. My mom wore it always. It’s a simple gold chain with two old-fashioned figures hanging from a horizontal bar. One is a boy in a top hat; the other is a girl in pigtails. My dad bought the necklace after I was born, in 1968. The kids on […]
No. 2: Bribery a Parenting Tactic
I have a friend who used M&Ms for potty training. I didn’t have to do that. At two, my daughter, Tashi, watched a little girl at daycare use a potty and that was that. / From the day she was born until she became a teenager, Tashi was a pleaser. I’d say, “Do your homework.” And […]
No. 1: Happy Birthday
I’m a slow writer. I want to write better. I want to write faster. And like Marianne Williamson says, I have one last chance to get it right. Because there’s no time like the present; because turning 50 is better than the alternative; and because you only live once, I’m going for it. This year, […]
Miami Caste System (In The Haven)
Dear Ivette, I noticed you planted a hedge on the swale between your swale and our swale. I noticed you didn’t plant a hedge on the other side, which makes this hedge feel very aggressive. Also, you have to admit, your lawn is awkward now. I also noticed you positioned tiny flags along the street-line, […]
