The story of my life, one scene at a time
I publish a new “Scene from a Memoir” occasionally.
The scenes:
Getting the Strength of a Cobra in Laos | The snake whiskey, which was actually rice wine, tasted mild and smoky, with a bit of snaky funkiness. I had a bad stomach ache for half a day that was probably unrelated to the shot, or maybe it was the cobra worming its way into my being. (May 28, 2013)
First World Problems | …I lose the struggle and burst out crying, the left lens of my broken glasses steaming up. I am afraid the lens will fall out if I try to clear it because it is held in precariously with Super Glue. I broke my glasses the other day… (April 14, 2013)
Bad News Shop: Bases Loaded, Bottom of the Ninth | Shy and awkward, I was the kid always picked last in gym class, but I had just seen Tatum O’Neal in The Bad New Bears. Inspired, I slipped on some confidence and carried it into 7th-grade wood shop. (April 9, 2013)
Short. Ponytail. Wearing black. | A really smooth character would hide the bill in his hand, extend his arm into a shake with a sly nod, and be seated now, considering appetizers. Instead, we’re waiting in a corner, having fun, sure, but thinking we’ll need to leave without eating; it’s a work night, and it’s getting late. (April 1, 2013)
Hey, Raw Meat! | Jimmy and my dad played a lot of poker together, and when one of them bet on a losing hand and had to flip over his cards, the other would shout: “He’s raw meat!” (March 12, 2013)
When the lights flicker on at the Parthenon | After a disappointing first impression of the Parthenon, I wait on Filopappos Hill for the sun to set to have my awe-inspiring Parthenon moment. (March 3, 2013)
Trout Fishing in Ireland | An unexpected gift of a fishing pole leads to a wonderful afternoon in Ireland and a simple, memorable meal. (February 27, 2013)
Driving Lessons | Timid and introverted, I suffered through driving lessons as a kid, and now my kid is about to begin lessons of his own. I have some advice for him. (February 17, 2013)
Terror at Three Feet | I experience a moment of terror as I attempt to bring boxes up to the attic. Whant–wahhh, Whant–wahhh, Whant–wahhh. (February 11, 2013)
Laughter from a Bright Yellow Sweater | My clothes, like my personality, usually blend in with the background … but not this time. The joke’s on me at a New York City comedy club. (February 3, 2013)
Fried Chicken on the Marrakesh Express | With many restaurants closed for Ramadan, we resigned ourselves to a greasy meal of fast food in the train depot. While not happy about this, truth be told, I couldn’t look at another tagine after two weeks in Morocco, and my boys were enthusiastic for a quick meal. There was the issue of time, however…. (June 1, 2012)
Bringing my dad to the hospital | Regret is not quite the right word for how I feel about bringing my father to the hospital to die, but it comes pretty close. (May 18, 2012)
Just Do It Backwards | I bend my knees, arch my back, twist, a slingshot pulled back; for one frozen moment, I’m still as the tennis ball rises in the air. … Admittedly, it’s only in my imagination that my serve is a perfect explosion of grace, but my imagination also takes me back through the years. (May 4, 2012)
Tuk-Tuk Hell, or Heaven | The four of us squeezed into a glorified golf cart, gasped as our driver gave a polite bop-bop on his horn, barreled through a lane our driver had just invented between two trucks, and inhaled a sooty, smelly mouthful of hot, humid air. Obviously, standing on a street corner with our faces hidden behind a huge map on our first day in Bangkok could have identified us as easy marks. (April 20, 2012)
How to Respect Your Kid’s Intelligence and Ruin Easter All at the Same Time | Out tumbled a gush of words: “You know what I think? I think the Easter Bunny didn’t come at all, and I think you went to the store and bought all our favorite candy and that green stuff for grass, and you hid all the wrappers, and you figured out where you could hide our baskets…” (April 6, 2012)
My Ántonia Didn’t Change, But I Sure Did | Writing prompt: Share a story about one of the following. Have your views on a character ever changed as you’ve changed? Does the adult version of you have different values than a previous version of you? (March 16, 2012)
That’s the Way the Fortune Cookie Crumbles | Writing prompt: Share a memory about a superstition or a time you felt superstitious. (March 2, 2012)
Cornered on Bourbon and Canal | Writing prompt: Share a memory about Mardi Gras, New Orleans, or a time you got into a bad situation. (Feb. 17, 2012)
Kittens in a Drawer | Writing prompt: Share a memory about kittens (or something else adorable), or a time someone wasn’t believed. (Feb. 3, 2012)
What’d You Do with the Money? | Writing prompt: Share a memory about a time you’ve been the life of the party, a song, an insult you’ve given or received, or a favorite bar/restaurant. (Jan. 20, 2012)
Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies in Cages with Tigers | Writing prompt: Write about a time you were criticized for a choice you made as a parent (or other relationship), or about an encounter you had with an animal. (Jan. 6, 2012)
Barracuda on the Beach | Writing prompt: Write about a time you were disappointed that things didn’t turn out exactly as planned, a time when your dreams did come true, or a “Someday … but” poem. (Dec. 16, 2011)
Love in a Mixtape | Writing prompt: Write about the moment you knew someone loved you, or make a list of songs for a mixtape that tells a story. (Dec. 2, 2011)
My First (and Second) Confession | Writing prompt: Share a memory related to your religious upbringing or a rite of passage, or tell us a story about religion. (Nov. 18, 2011)
Ditched | Writing prompt: Write about a childhood memory involving a playground or mean kids. (Nov. 4, 2011)
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