Philosophy
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SPOTTED DICKS & FLICKS
Lately, I’ve been brushing up on all things British so asked a friend from Rugby to catch me up on the lingo over lunch. Towards the end, she asked, “Oh! Have you ever had a spotted dick?” That caught me off-guard. What was that? A you-know-what with spots? Some kind of fish? A polka dot dickey? Took… Read more
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HOW YOU LOOK IS NOT HOW YOU ARE SEEN
Last week, I was feeling particularly lovely and vibrant, so I took some selfies in the garden to share with my kids. However, when I put on my glasses to look at them, I was stunned. Surely that weathered face and wrinkles didn’t belong to me? I started to delete them, then stopped myself. Since… Read more
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EN GARDE!
These medieval fencers are a regular sight at my local park. Watching them thrust and parry reminds me of lovers quarreling. But here’s the difference: fencers wear protective gear. Lovers have no such protection. When they go at each other, they are often defenseless. And just because men have 25% thicker skin than women does not make… Read more
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DON’T FENCE ME IN!
From Paris to Poughkeepsie, this is a common sight: upheaval in sidewalks due to tree roots. Each time I stumble over one, I wonder why anyone would plant a tree in such a tiny spot, surrounded by cement. If you take something wild and confine it, expect problems. The same goes for people. If you… Read more
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in
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counterfeit counterintuitive
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they’ve been fooled.” —Mark Twain And boy was I fooled. I had several hundred dollar bills to pay a local, moving man. At the last minute, I decided to cash one so that I would have some smaller bills to give him a tip. When I… Read more
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LOVE LETTER TO OUTRAGE
When I see injustice around me, my blood boils. A switch flips in my head and I go ballistic. Research says that we react most strongly to the things that personally affect us. Our immediate self-interest and personal relevance are the most powerful drivers of our emotional response. The premise is that since I was mistreated as… Read more
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PJs AND BIRTHDAYS
When the first freeze of winter hit, I pulled out my flannel PJs and found only one mismatched pair, which had a long-gone, elastic waistband. They were given to me almost 20 years ago. I did the math and realized that my next pair may well outlive me. So, I purchased these, so I’ll look… Read more
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in
AGEFULLY AGING 