A gypsy scribbler's musings & ruminations
Outside the gates of my Nairobi home was a rain gutter two feet deep, lined with concrete and hedged by shrubs and succulents. Some bright, sunny mornings, I would turn the corner and see him there. He was always in the same spot, sitting on the corner of the street with his back to the... Continue Reading →
In the last week of October, I had a decision to make. I thought I knew the right answer, and all the voices of Reason affirmed it. My heart, however, (and a lone dissenter) resisted. So began a wrestling match between my heart and my head that ended with my head exploding. It was a... Continue Reading →
The little tidbit below is something I wrote back in June of 2012. I was, at the time, in the tight grip of depression. Lots has happened since then and that grip has lost its hold. Though I still have normal ups and downs, I do not wrestle that beast any more. So why do... Continue Reading →
A long while back, a friend mentioned in passing that he hoped he would fall in love. Though the conversation was an interesting one, what struck me then (oddly) was the least remarkable phrase: "fall in love." Why do we talk of "falling" into love? Is love a trap that catches you unawares? A deep... Continue Reading →
In this cancer-recovery process, I have sometimes wondered which milestone to keep in sight. June 5th 2017 = you have cancer. Mind-altering news.July 18th 2017 = first surgery to remove my thyroid and a handful of lymph nodes. Life-changing experience.March 19th 2018 = second surgery to remove leftover lymph that was still cancerous. Will it... Continue Reading →
"When the storm comes, will you reject the rain if it falls not soft? If it falls not tame?" Sickness is certain in living. Heartbreak is sure in all loving. Death is the door at the end of each path. That these things are true doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the heart's... Continue Reading →
I've always loved the game of Hidden Pictures: that corner of the Highlights kids' magazine where you stare at two nearly identical pictures and try to spot all the differences between them. Stained glass is a little like that game - there's always more to see than just the picture. There is the picture of... Continue Reading →
"I'm dying," said I. "I know. How far would you go?" said she. "How far would you go to be free?" "Free of the thing that is killing me? Cut it out! Carve and slice, burn and dice, poison it until it disappears. I surrender to the physician's knife and knowledge. In short: do whatever... Continue Reading →
Walking through the high school courtyard on my way to the office one day in spring, I ran into a tree ... so to speak. The sight of a monkey-thorn acacia in full bloom stopped me in my tracks. As I stood transfixed, gaping up at the branches, a colleague came up behind me. "What... Continue Reading →
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