It begins with a very beautiful teenaged girl. I'm at the grocery store one day. She's walking straight towards me in the parking lot. Maybe it was how she filled out her sundress, maybe her impeccable taste in sundresses, or it could have been her smile too, so genuine and caring, aimed now right at … Continue reading Epstein
Author: neal
Initiation
Johnny Lipp was a year older than me in grade school and furthermore this kind-of male counterpart to Ms. Piggy. He was loud and influential and porky in aspect. Johnny Lipp, which of course wasn't his real last name but damn near close, was all that, plus he was the school bully. Nobody tried tackling … Continue reading Initiation
Rough draft
Dear __, There's a guy on the Facebook who pops up once in a while. It's an older clip, looks like, and he looks kind of like a creepy version of the old Verizon commercial guy, the can-you-hear-me-now guy. Which is why he seems like a rather unlikely guy to be asked the question, Do … Continue reading Rough draft
When I swam with Juan Peron at the “Hotel of the Dictators”
The 1950s and 60s were notable for the political and military upheavals in South America. Every other week it seemed, there was another coup somewhere, with dictators either assassinated or fleeing their countries. But where, one wonders, does a disgraced dictator flee when he’s been deposed? Oddly and improbably enough, I can answer that question. … Continue reading When I swam with Juan Peron at the “Hotel of the Dictators”
Anatomy of a civil war
When I think of young, I think of a few things: no responsibilities beyond just taking care of yourself. And if you're young and bit by the idealism bug, which many are, you've got a ton of time to be idealistic and thus maybe even suicidal for your cause. You'll at least sleep on strangers' … Continue reading Anatomy of a civil war
Lie down in darkness
There are the suicides we understand. The terminally ill, the obvious addict, the flagrantly depressed, the murderer or criminal. Even the overdramatic teenager. But there are others that throw our whole perception of reality off axis. The singer Chris Cornell, comedian Robin Williams before him. Both enormously successful and widely adored. Why would Williams, who smiled so much and elicited even more … Continue reading Lie down in darkness
Five years, homies
I woke up feeling heavy a lot this past year. I still do. In some ways I have no business doing so anymore. Son's in college, happy it seems. I finally make decent money, and with a really good schedule, I plan to travel more (economy permitting). And check this out: Free rum and cokes, … Continue reading Five years, homies
There’s more
I pick up the phone to dial the Veteran's Administration (VA). It's regarding my service-connected compensation that I receive every month and have since honorably discharging. Recently, it was reduced because my son graduated high school and is thus no longer considered my dependent. I'd had a little tack-on on to my monthly check thanks … Continue reading There’s more
Are you effin’ kidding me?
Hey, Dawg. Bye, Dawg. I mean, that's kinda how it feels right now. The time that we got here in (too fast). The speed we made (too effin' fast). The distance covered (are you effin' kidding me?). What the heck just happened? (Hold please) Clearly this is gonna take a minute. But I need to … Continue reading Are you effin’ kidding me?
The Pass List
Katie took it upon herself to plan their seventh anniversary, hoping it might help elevate her out of the funk she’d been experiencing. She suspected that her husband Robert, a prime catch from every traditional matrimonial metric, couldn’t comprehend the desires that had recently overcome her. While she embraced their upscale suburban life, she craved … Continue reading The Pass List
Things Men Carry 