I went to dinner at a local restaurant in Waterford Sunday night. The music in the pub didn’t show till 10pm, so I had a little time to kill. The barman recommended a spot just off the square, so I made my way down there. It was a lively joint, with the buzzy kind of …
I’m not sure what it is about this place, but the grief and sense of loss has surged since landing here. I didn’t come here to feel worse. I thought I was coming for something charming and alluring. It must be the sudden encounter of that very thing I have been looking forward to experiencing. …
I love certain linguistic accents. I could listen to Saoirse Ronan and Fiona Ritchie all day. I enjoy how their articulation sounds to my ear. The lilt, the cadence, the emphasis on certain syllables. Could it be because the way they sound seems more exotic and attractive to me? Or maybe it’s because it makes me …
The fascination of transition has begun, and it always starts in the same way when I travel internationally. It’s the eye for things that are different. Some drastic, others subtle. It always takes a day or two to remember to go to the left side of the car or ask for crisps or biscuits in …
Eleven years ago this month, I took my family to Ireland for a ten-day excursion. After only four days into the trip, we got word that Karen’s dad had passed away. We were in Galway when the news reached us, so we had to say goodbye to the Emerald Isle and return home. I always …
A neurosurgeon is experienced in the science and study of how the brain works, but no one has ever opened up the cranium and found the thoughts held by that patient. No one knows the thoughts of a person, except that person themselves. This makes each of us unique in a very peculiar way. I …
I struck up a conversation with a woman standing with the expectant crowd in front of the stage as we waited on Tanya Tucker to perform. Among the chit chat we exchanged, the subject of past concerts came up. I told her one reason I was down front like this was in solidarity with my …
I lived more years with her than without. There was a time I didn’t have her in my life. Now I’m back to where I started. Marriage is a process of dying to self. It won’t work if both partners are not willing to set aside certain personal preferences and predispositions for the sake of …
I opened my home to friends last night. It felt good to cook again. It felt even better to set the table. She left her earth suit on the rented hospital bed in the side bedroom four months ago today, shedding it for something new and more fitting and suitable to her true nature. I …
One of my many cherished memories with my family when my kids were young is traveling together. We visited England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales on two different occasions. In dad form, I forced everyone to simplify and reduce all possessions to three items; Coat. Backpack. Suitcase. Any time we left a hotel or train, the …