creative

Fittingly, I’m writing this on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Indeed, although more than a few years have passed since I was a full-time student, I still feel a deep attachment to the academic calendar. Starting fresh in September still makes sense to me. In fact, later this month, we’re soft...

I almost didn’t throw it into last week’s email but I decided at the last minute to add something parenthetically. Interestingly, amongst all the other content, this tidbit definitely provoked the most responses. Namely, while writing about Identity (this month’s theme and new meditation HERE), ...

First, I must report this as both a very quiet and yet very public victory, one that’s important to celebrate as the summer draws to a close. Namely, that ever since June 26th, the baseball field has remained unlocked. Thanks to the spring-time efforts of my kindergarten teacher friend Bonnie and her...

New Meditation HERE New Podcast HERE We all know the phenomenon of staring at something––for example, a simple word whose meaning and spelling we’ve always known–– so long that it gradually unravels. Letters suddenly seem like random scribbles. Definitions dissolve and all meaning evaporates. ...

It felt almost biblical. Indeed, the event definitely stirred some low-grade apocalyptic feelings. Two weeks ago, during the middle of my first pottery class––the one I wrote about HERE––I caused a flood. Specifically, after watering my vacationing upstairs neighbor’s terrace, I didn’t quite turn ...

It’s hard to believe I began this tradition in 2007, something that feels like several lifetimes ago. Since then it’s taken place all across this hemisphere, from NYC’s Lower East Side to its Upper West, from Los Angeles to Florida, from San Francisco to Seattle, and now to hipster Bushwick. It’s al...

When it happened, I wasn’t prepared. It was an honor far beyond anything I could ever have anticipated. In fact, no one could have. That’s because the gift itself––and the inherent responsibility––hadn’t even existed the day before. Namely, this week I was chosen to receive the spare key to a v...

Sometimes noise-canceling headphones are not enough. Especially when the asking is loud and clear, it can cut through anything. You see, although 95% of the time Vlad drops the ball directly in front of his chosen candidate for fetch, occasionally he will approach from behind. He always gives his ...

I probably should blame myself more. And I’m honestly not sure how much this is innate or because of my bad parenting but… Vlad has a level of Personal Confidence that easily wanders into Entitlement. To be frank, I find the way that Vlad asks for anything––and you could substitute other verbs for...