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 […]
Tag: Johnny Moon and the Black Dog Queen
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 […]
20. The Hoarding Mindset
My younger sister has a friend, “Neva,” whose mother died at the age of 92. Neva, an only child, lived far away in another state with her own family, and because of health issues, was able to visit her mother only occasionally. When the time came to empty and clean the mother’s house to put […]
19. Hidden Talent
I’m about to reveal something revolutionary, so pay attention: in my home, I am the chief cook. My wife does all right, but she calls me “an artist in the kitchen.” Growing up in Italy, I was never expected to do much around the house, let alone in the kitchen. There were two reasons for […]
18. Friendships Are Treasure
I never gave much thought to the nature of friendship. If I got along with someone, if we had things to talk or joke about, and if we seemed pleased to see each other, to me, that was a friendship. Since moving away from Italy and settling in the U.S., I have come to examine […]
17. Life Choices
I am not one to quote scripture, but I like this from the Gospel of Thomas (which is not part of the Bible): “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will […]
16. Being Lost
We have all gotten lost at one time or another. It usually happens when we are in a location that is completely unfamiliar. We may be looking for a particular address or a street that will lead us back in the direction we want. A hiker may be looking for a trail that leads out […]
5. To Stay or To Go
As a young, newly-married man in southern Italy, my father became a tenant farmer. He rented a large plot of land from a prominent member of a patrician family based near Florence. With only a zappa (a wide-bladed hoe), my dad, joined by his brothers and a couple of day laborers, cleared roots, grasses, weeds, […]
4. A Tap on the Shoulder
A buddy of mine whom I’ve known since I was very small was hospitalized a few day ago. He just died of the virus that’s ravaging the Earth. Another friend is on a respirator, in the fight of her life against cancer. In the last 10 years or so I’ve lost many friends and cousins […]
3. Crossed-Signals, Misunderstandings, and Other Illusions
Have you ever been fond of a song that you Thought you knew the lyrics to, only to find out – sometimes years later – that the words were not quite how you sang them? I was on a snack run with some friends when the Stevie Nicks song Stand Back played over the store’s […]
ANTON CIRCLES HIS WORLD 