Thoughts of auntie and her pink Cadillac
I can still hear her upstate New York accent all these years later. “Robbit,” she said, “I just went and bought it.” “It” was a car. But not just any car. In her 83rd year, my aunt had gone and purchased a brand-new Cadillac. She knew every one of its virtues — power steering, power seats, air conditioning — that made Florida tolerable for the hottest half of the... READ MORE
You know your marriage is strong when…
When you (mis)spend your life as a writer, as I have, and when you’ve perpetrated millions of words, as I have, other writers always ask you the same question. Do you need silence when you work, or could you work in the middle of the Beltway at rush hour? I always answer Option Two, but for a very unusual reason. I share a study with my spouse. Our click-and-counterclick has... READ MORE
Reasons to pay one’s taxes cheerfully
At my advanced (and advancing) age, it’s not smart to ruin friendships. They are harder than ever to repair and replace. But I fear I may have just blown things up with an equally ancient pal. You be the judge as to which of us is at fault. This friend and I were talking on the phone about taxes. He was bemoaning the burden they place on him, a single man in his 70s who lives mostly ... READ MORE
When someone nears a precipice, help
When his wife was alive, he was a rock. Government executive. Nonprofit board member. Husband/father/grandfather. Always willing to donate an hour or a dollar to someone in need. But then cancer took her. They had been married for more than 40 years. For a few weeks, he remained a rock: No, thanks, don’t need anything. Yes, going to stay right here in the house. No, won’t change a ... READ MORE
Seeing the shades of gray in politics
For better or worse, we will be dissecting the 2020 election results for many months. So, I’d like to dust off my scalpel and dissect a group of voters. For better or worse, I am very familiar with them. Older Americans. We vote more often than any other age group. We give more money to candidates than any other age group. We do phone banking and door-knocking as much as,... READ MORE
Reminiscing about desserts of childhood
At 3 a.m. — sleepless yet again — odd memories can flit through what’s left of one’s brain. The other night, for no particular reason, I conjured a vision of a dessert I haven’t eaten in more than 65 years. It was called Apple Brown Betty. Perhaps it was a mainstay of elementary school lunch for you. It certainly was for me. There it sat, in a little circular dish, sliced ... READ MORE
Poor guy can’t help answering the phone
The phone rings. The digital screen says UNKNOWN CALLER. My wife and I exchange glances. Thus, the ballet begins — again. “I’m going to answer it,” I say. “Don’t answer it,” she says. “You’ll just encourage them to call again.” “Might be Hollywood,” I say. “You know it isn’t Hollywood,” she says. “One way to find out,” I say. And I lift... READ MORE
We certainly are living in hairy times
We sit in our abodes. And sit. Junking on TV and too much food. Blowing through our entire collection of jigsaw puzzles. Calling old friends. Trying to stay one step ahead of the virus. But one force of nature continues, self-quarantine or not. Hair grows. Mine has. In spades. Yes, I know, at my age, I should be grateful that I still have some. In fact, I have oodles of ... READ MORE
Reaching and passing 100, a day at a time
A cross-country plane ride is usually an excuse to secede from the world. Naps. Crossword puzzles. Novels that are so bad that you find the nearest trash can once you land. But on a recent flight from California, I chanced upon a newspaper story that enthralled me. It was about a woman who had just celebrated her 110th birthday. She thus belongs to a very exclusive club called... READ MORE
Change is hard, so this habit may remain
Another year has recently slipped into the books, and for me, it brought a reckoning. Should I bow to the realities of the 21st Century? Or should I plow ahead with a project that had been born and nurtured in the 20th? Should I be a stubborn old guy and refuse to recognize which way the winds are blowing? Or should I fold my tent? For more than 25 years, I have regularly,... READ MORE
