For many years the Italian postal system has offered savings bonds. I began buying them as a young man, when the lire was still our currency. I started with denominations of 250 thousand lire (about 125 euros) and worked my way up. When I had socked away cash from odd jobs and gifts, I’d go […]
30. Fun People We Have Known
We all know people who are fun, even outrageous. When we are in their presence, we are sure to forget our troubles and just enjoy ourselves. Lately, I’ve been thinking about a number of these people, trying to figure out what makes them so different from me. Here’s a little gallery of fun folks I’ve […]
29. When You Are Not a Favorite
My wife tells me that she never liked her grandfather. He stunk of tobacco – he used to cut up cigars and smoke them in his pipe – ignored her and her siblings, and chased after young women well into his 80s. As a descendant of English-speaking European settlers in a Latin American country, he […]
28. The Village of Millionaires
There is a village nestled in the mountains of south central Italy that boasts some 30 recently-minted millionaires, thanks to a lottery jackpot. But this is no fairy tale. To understand how this came about it is important to understand how much Italians love to play the lottery. The Italian lottery system is more complicated […]
27. My Big Disappointment
As a concept, it seemed exciting. And doable. My cousin Al became self-employed by opening a small pizzeria. He built up the business over a few years, sold it, then opened a larger one in another location. He repeated this a few more times. Some of the businesses and properties he sold outright, for the […]
26. Heroes Do Not Brag
I know a woman, Tessa, who is unassuming and modest. She never brags about herself or her accomplishments. It would be easy to overlook her, but I think that would be a shame. She came to the U.S. as a toddler with her parents, who moved here legally. Tessa’s mother did not speak English, but […]
25. The Conversation
When my wife was single, she lived in a three-unit apartment house. The owners occupied the first floor. Hailing from Spain, they retained many of their Spanish customs. For example, in their tiny back yard, they set up a long table under a pergola where they would spend many Sunday afternoons enjoying hearty meals with […]
24. Fractured Portrait
Some time ago, I reluctantly accompanied my wife to an art show opening of a friend, “Emmie.” I do not like modern art – my wife says that, in my view, art began and ended with Michelangelo. In my defense, I like Caravaggio, too, and some of Vincent Van Gogh’s work. I enjoyed seeing the […]
23. The Dream of a Shepherd
The late high-wire artist Karl Wallenda famously said, “Being on the tightrope is living. Everything else is waiting.” Instead of “waiting,” he could have said “dreaming.” There is such a big difference between dreaming and doing. Dreaming about doing something has its satisfactions. But dreaming is just simulation, without real-world experience. It’s a safety net […]
22. Working Disabled
My work record is very spotty. As a man with physical challenges, I guess I’m lucky to have any work record at all. These days, I’m even luckier not to need a job anymore. When I moved for good to the U.S. about 20 years ago, I never thought that anyone would hire me. This […]
