Monthly Archives: September 2010

It’s popular to make lists of “Things I Want To Do Before I Die.” As a lister, I can understand the appeal. But after thinking about it for a while, I decided not to do it for several reasons, which … Continue reading →

I do not have a talent for making small talk. In situations where small talk is called for, I am uncomfortable, particularly with people I don’t know well. Once I get beyond “Hi,” and “How are you?,” I generally resort … Continue reading →

Many of the employees at the car wash spoke Spanish. Russ, my boss, didn’t. He got around this difficulty by yelling at the top of his voice and leaving out a lot of words. He’d hand a towel to one … Continue reading →

After I graduated from high school, I needed a job to earn money for college in the fall but wasn’t all that excited about finding one. My dad wasn’t one to wait, so he found one for me — at … Continue reading →