Moons ago, someone carved me a nickname into the sand. The tide came and swept my name away. That name was "Sputnitsa," which means "fellow traveler" in Russian.
Category Archives: life
I Remind Myself, in Troubled Times
Have the courage to accept our responsibility and our pain as our starting point. Imagine, seek and honor the most compelling truth of “the other side.” Abandon demeaning speech and belittling thoughts. Forgive others for not being perfect, for not … Continue reading
It is the Now
Times are dark and uncertain, and how things are going to end isn’t a given. Maybe it doesn’t even matter. It’s the love we share in the now that is everything that matters. Love makes and remakes us. And I believe … Continue reading
Posted in being, challenges, communication, community service, culture shock, faith, giving, giving is healing, goals, helping others, integrity, kindness, learning from others, life, love, never ending story, plan b, power, self-creation, volunteering, volunteerism, what next, what now, youth development
Tagged community service, faith, giving is healing, kindness, love, power, what next, what now
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What the Russian Invasion Taught Me
In August 2008, the Russians invaded Georgia. This was not expected. I was there at the time. When the first explosions hit, my friend J texted from the US. “I think there’s a war going on.” “No, no. It’s just a … Continue reading
Notes of a Fine, Upstanding Citizen
The truth now: have you ever been kicked out of a place? I have twice suffered the ignominy of being escorted from a place, if one does not count evacuating Georgia. (Which I do not, as I find an invading … Continue reading
One Night in the Midwest
It was a beautiful night, swelling with stars and cricket songs, and I was on the front porch with a glass of red wine. B and I listened to the sounds of the party inside; the raucous music, the jumbled … Continue reading
War and Peace, a tale of class warfare
I had a Russian teacher once who didn’t much like me. In her defense, I did not attend class with particular regularity. In my defense, this was because she had committed two terrible indiscretions, the second being worse than the … Continue reading
Posted in accuracy, books, communication, foreign languages, language, languages, life
Tagged books, classes, language, languages, random, Russian, Tolstoy, War and Peace
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It wasn’t what I was expecting.
Not that I had great expectations. Mostly, I just expected the same old. Which I quite love. But instead, as I turned the page of my delicious new book–Holderlin’s Hymns and Fragments–and absent-mindedly looked out the living room window, I … Continue reading
Developing Characters, or: What Doesn’t Kill You…
The other morning I had a guest over for brunch. In other words, I had to tidy the apartment. The problem was that my apartment was already tidy. This is because I’m writing a book, and writing a book requires … Continue reading
Posted in antagonists, character development, characters, discipline, editing, fiction, finding your own way, first drafts, life, perils of housework, plot development, scenes, writing, writing exercise
Tagged challenges, character development, fiction, first drafts, life, photos, plot, plot development, writing, writing antagonists
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Cold, cold ground…
I remember last winter very well. I remember how the cold never died; how I never shed my layers, not even indoors. How I wore all I could to bed. How my water bottles froze by my bed. The wind … Continue reading
Posted in appreciating life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Caucasus, challenges, coming back to America, culture shock, Georgia, goals, helping others, life, Marneuli, Republic of Georgia, scenes, writing
Tagged awards, Caucasus, challenges, life, Peace Corps, photos, Republic of Georgia, scholarship, something new, whatnot, winter, writing
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Ask, and ye shall receive…
“Excuse me, miss, I don’t want to disturb you,” he said. His eyes were a wide blue, his cheeks covered with stubble. A man in his mid thirties or forties. Slovenly and of feeble carriage. His voice neither deep nor … Continue reading
Posted in helping others, integrity, life, New York, urban instinct, whatnot
Tagged life, New York, random, urban instinct, whatnot
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