You are currently viewing the stories for “November 2010.”
They often amuse me, the touchstones that have become the rituals of my life. Jiggling the doorknob to make sure the door is locked. Stacking my self-help books according to dysfunction. Making sure no one is watching when I enter my weight and age into the elliptical training machine at the gym. Checking for ear hairs. Stuff like that. I [...]
Thanksgiving morning, 1961, Mom woke me quietly and whispered, “Rory is sick. If you wake him up before you leave, you’re not going either.” I shook my head yes. I felt bad that my younger brother, Rory, wouldn’t see the parade, but I was happy to go with Dad alone. It was much easier having a good time with Dad [...]
This week I had dinner at my parents' house. Afterwards, my father shuffled off to the couch to lie down. My mother and I watched him go. He looked old and tired. By no coincidence my mother began to talk about how they’ve started to look at burial plots. My father was born on Staten Island and he wants to [...]
