Pandora's Other Box

No, this post is not a combination of the above ingredients, just that they are the topics which separately today bring me to the typewriter. Well… to the computer… As it often happens, the morning light overflows into the window, then the day moves right along behind it and, before you know it… daylight is almost gone over the other side of the orb. This morning, on my way to English class, I had the local NPR public station on. Usually, early in the morning, this is the one I most listen to, because all news is served on a clean platter and there are good commentary segments. This morning a segment on alcoholism caught my attention. Unfortunately, only the middle portion came to me, since it had begun before I got into the car and, by the time my faithful chariot was being parked in front of the school, the segment was not yet finished. However, there was enough time to hear something which brought home a comment my son often made. In the beginning, I thought it was his...

Every day is an important day to remember, but there are some which become special moments on the road of life… even if, at the time, this is not so apparent. As a recently fractured life began to retake some sort of shape back in the mid 60’s, my wondering ( and wandering ) persona found itself looking over the beauty of the Caribbean once again, when I went to Puerto Rico from Richland. This had been the longest flight sequence yet for me ( Hmmm… little did I know what was to come…) and it was tiring. The plane landed in San Juan sometime after noon, and the moment my feet took that one first step unto that beautiful island, my body felt as if it had stepped into a full blown Turkish bath, with wet steaming air blowing my way. What had brought me all the way, literally, across the then known world to me? A series of letters exchanged with my father, a man I was yet to meet. Sometime back, while in Richland, a first and somewhat hesitant letter had come from him; in this, ...

“Obstinate”:  “…unwilling to change or give up an idea or attitude…” This little entry could be called “In Defense of Obstinacy”… More often than not, every time the word is uttered as a definition of someone, it takes on a negative veneer; a connotation of an un-free spirit, tethered to an invisible chain which only allows limited movement of the mind and body… especially of the mind… a stubborn fool. Yet, most of the truly great achievements of humankind have come through the very obstinate behavior of a few. A small number of hardy souls who refused to give up on their dreams and who, eventually and despite many obstacles, made what many thought a crazy idea into a beautiful reality... Disneyworld and its iterations come to mind. I wonder how many times dear Ol’ Wally heard the wisdom mongers tell him that a stick mouse would never fill up a park with paying people… He could not even get a loan to get his idea started but he did not give up; first he built one and...

I am not too sure I remember the exact use of the above saying, but it was meant along the lines of “just for you” but in a not too nice a manner… Anyhow, this is the state of things around here… Just for you, I am sitting here and trying to fill in, dutifully, a few lines that can go on to that “never land” cybernetic universe. The one that allows me to reach you in the US, Russia, India and points in between… all without lifting a finger… well, just to put it down on the corresponding key and, with one single stroke… send it all on its way! This morning, early in the morning, there was a one-on-one class of ESL. It was with a very pretty young lady, who wants to improve her pronunciation because in her professional circles, it is not too cool to have a Hispanic accent. Go figure… some of the folk who come have such a thick Germanic accent that it is almost impossible to understand a word they say. But they are "OK"... Yet, this professionally prepared young lady i...

Well yes, this sounds familiar I know… that is why, with my regards to Mr. Reed, I changed the name a bit… Why the wild side? It is turning out to be one of those Monday mornings when all call with one problem or another; even though all have their eventual solutions, is that “in the meantime” that bugs the living daylights out of me. Sometimes I do hate Mondays… We, as good and upstanding citizens ( quiet in the gallery!!.. .) we are, go forward every day with a smile and the determination to make good on our intents. There are far too many times, however, when this desire goes astray because the final results may be resting in the sometimes questionable efforts of too many hands. This is the world of international private trading; a world with an extremely high learning curve, too many cooks ( crooks ?) in the kitchen and too few people who come forward with honesty and transparency as a trademark. Some 15 years ago I became initially involved with this strange world th...

Every so often we seem to, in a manner of speaking, veer off course in the course of everyday life… This has been the case with these entries. Each day, at the “crack of dawn” … well… sometime during the morning, the new commitment to sit and write is made anew. And everyday,  it seems,  the Fates conjure up different situations that do not allow me to meet this somewhat unsure resolve. Not unsure due to not wanting to get it done, unsure due to the amount of issues which are taking up my time and keeping me away from the computer. I could do it from my phone, but it would take forever to one-finger my blog in… So, why this one today? As it happens, yesterday I was looking at some pictures; some of the very few that still are in my possession, and there were some from one outing we had, as a then family, with three of my children, their mother and grandmother. This was in Santiago , Chile where we lived as a family for about 16 months, prior to moving to Buenos Ai...

I am not really sure what to put in next … Every beginning of every day is an opportunity to do well by someone else or, to the contrary, not so well. Then, on the other hand, some days one does not do at all. During this last stretch of I don’t really know how many days, my head has been the pedestal upon which several hats have perched. On the one hand, the teacher of English to several regular groups of students; a teacher/business counselor to another small group, a private set of students… on the other hand, a father figure to the owner of the academy where I teach, for we spend together several hours a day and she is really trying to make a go of the business; then, there is that third hand... being a friend/advisor to my overseas business associate, whose faith and perseverance are severely tried every time ( of course, the fact mine are as well doesn’t seem to count …) that carefully woven transactions seem to unravel before our very eyes… we have to keep on trying. ...

…said one deer to the other one, as they were trying to escape the hungry wolves. Ever hear that story? In one of several iterations, this one features two deer, running away from a hungry wolf.  As one turns to the other and, in between ragged breaths yells… “ we have to outrun the wolf ”, the other one yells “ Actually, I only have to run faster than you ” in response. The moral of the story is that, basically, in this world of getting ahead at any price (to oneself or someone else) everyone seems to be out there for him (or her)self. Events and moments which could well be much like the one depicted above are very far from uncommon, and we ourselves have been involved in some like them from time to time. Of course, in those, we have always slowed down to try and help the other party escape the hungry wolf… right? OK, you can plead the 5 th amendment if you choose… no problem. We understand as we quietly do the same. Living in the past is not the idea...