Tag Archives: reflection

My Birthday

By Jim Selman | Bio

My birthday is tomorrow. I don’t normally give much significance to these annual milestones. I don’t actually remember most of my birthdays, other than a few of the hallmarks—21st, 50th and maybe my 65th.  I certainly appreciate the cards and wishes and the fact that someone cares enough to acknowledge the day. My birthday has probably been of more interest to astrologers than it has for me. This year, I am spending it alone in Madrid on a rainy day.  Perhaps for this reason, I am more reflective than I might otherwise be.

Sixty-seven years ago I didn’t exist, and sometime in the foreseeable future I won’t exist again. I have already been around longer than most of my ancestors, made more money than my father, had three great children, pursued three totally different careers, traveled the world, loved and been loved a lot, experienced heartbreak and pain, and (arguably) have learned more in my lifetime than was learnable a hundred years ago. I am happy, healthy and, with the grace of God and

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I Am Not My Photograph

By Marilyn Kentz | Bio | Website

It was my last day of my week-long vacation and I was back in Berkeley visiting my 22-year-old daughter and her boyfriend. I was meeting my husband there, as we had gone in two different directions for the last part. It was the boyfriend’s 24th birthday and she had made plans for the two of them to go out to a romantic dinner. Since we had extended our stay by one day, I insisted they keep their original plans. No need to politely drag Mommy along. I told her I would start cooking the pasta salad she wanted to bring on their picnic the next day.

By
7:30 it must have been 99 degrees in her cute little upstairs
apartment. The Bay Area population expects—no, counts on—the morning
fog and the evening sea breeze to keep their fresh air perfect in the
summer. With our diminishing ozone, I fear this sweltering day was only
a taste of things to come. And since they only rely on natural air
conditioning, there was not so much as a fan in sight. My head was
dripping.

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