-
No such thing as normal
People with disabilities account for 1-in-4 adults in the United States. Think about that; it’s a massive number! Though technically considered a “minority” group, there is nothing minor about it. People with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority group in the country, representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, religions, and socio-economic…
-
In My Life
There are places I’ll rememberAll my life, though some have changed.Some forever, not for better;Some have gone and some remain. “In My Life” – The Beatles I hope you will indulge me, thoughtful reader. Because I would like to share a very personal moment, a milestone with you. I said goodbye to Glendale, and my…
-
Portmanteau
As a boy, I thought Star Trek was real. And by that I mean the original series. Not “The Next Generation” with young Wesley Crusher, upon whom I had a crush. Crusher-crush. Nah, too easy! Before you call me a dirty old man, or something worse, remember, when we first meet Wesley, in the pilot…
-
The Stuffing Letter
I have kept a journal since I was 19. A “journal” is like a diary, except entries are not made daily (though they can be) and it is not meant to be a record of anything: such as, “met Ryan for coffee,” or “saw Jennifer Aniston at the Farmer’s Market.” I use my journaling (the…
-
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Let’s get this out of the way right at the start. No. I don’t know who he is. But that is not to say I don’t remember him. Knowing the incubation period for the virus, I can narrow it down to one guy. I call him “white SUV guy.” He lived in Larchmont, a trendy…
-
Asking For Help
I got my first “powerchair” (motorized wheelchair) in 2014, seven years after I became wheelchair-bound, and it was nothing short of ecstasy. For the seven years prior, I had grown accustomed to being restricted to a wheelchair; I wasn’t happy about it, but I made the best of it. I lived on my own in…
-
Better living through chemistry
If you know me IRL (“in real life”), and if you have known me for a while, you know at least two things about me. One is that I used to smoke – a lot. After a major incident in 2013 that landed me in a pulmonary ICU unable to breath for 15 days, I…
-
Hiking in the Verdugos
You might think I’m going to write about what happened in the United States of America yesterday, how the day was nothing more than an orgy of grievance, bold-faced lies, xenophobia, Nazi salutes, score-settling, and false bravado. But I’m not. Because January 20th is a very significant day for me. Two years ago, on January…
-
Triskaidekaphobia
While I stopped “practicing” the Catholic faith of my youth decades before, I “de-converted” to use Seth Andrews’ phrase (whose book I devoured, and to whom I wrote) in March of 2019. But de-converting is not as simple as just owning up to the fact that you don’t believe in god. I think most people…
-
Crine
Al Kroesch (pronounced “kresh”), his wife Faye, and their weiner dog Willie, lived across the street and six doors down from me when I was growing up in Glendale. They were old-age retirees when I was a boy, and I trace my fastidiousness back to them. I used to call it my “OCD” until I…
Your mileage may vary.