Last week, one of my very first boyfriends died. It was sudden and shocking, and not just because Terry was relatively young and fit (55, and the longtime outdoors editor of the Tampa Bay Times), but because Terry was so distinctively full of life. Terry was… positivity DISTILLED. No matter when you talked to him, there was always something to be excited about, to look forward to, to achieve or conquer or experience, and a way for him to include you. His enthusiasm was infectious, and no one was immune.
Hitched
In a half hour, we will be married. The Marriage Commissioner and photographer have yet to arrive, Krista time still to firmly, lovingly harass me into the gown, but just now, after an 18-hour ceaseless lashing of rain and wind, the sky has suddenly gone sweet and dry, and we burst onto our soon-to-be altar…
Holy wooden anniversary
As of last Saturday, Michael and I turned the humongous clock hands to FIVE YEARS OF TOGETHERNESS. Apparently, the traditional gift for a five-year anniversary is “wood”; I was gonna give him a wooden ship in a bottle to symbolize our relationship’s stultifying entrapment and corking of his freedom, but then I figured he’d just…
On balance
Me: So you know how last week we had that talk about how I need to take better care of myself, and part of that was taking at least one night off a week for myself? Mike: Jesus, do I ever. Me: Hard to forget, right? What with you just going to a little after-work…
True Tales of Instant Karma
More months ago than I can remember, I ran across a news item that the Dalai Lama would be visiting Seattle. And to guarantee an audience with His Holiness, I nobly surmounted death-defying obstacles of Himalayan scale — which is to say, I linked to the sponsoring organization, requested a few free tickets, clicked send,…
Love in the time of dementia
Today’s New York Times Week in Review features a fine piece on love in the Depends years, a relatively new field of study among sociologists and gerontologists. Historically, love in older age has not been given much of a place in culture, said (Thomas R. Cole, director of the McGovern Center for Health, Humanities and…