Category Archives: Lessons

My Medical Blessing

Posted on January 5, 2011 by sputterpub

When I was 35, I kind of reinvented myself. It wasn’t my idea to rupture that ovarian cyst, and it wasn’t really my doctor’s fault when she made that judgment call and decided not to open me up at first. … Continue reading →

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Enemy Lessons

Posted on January 4, 2011 by sputterpub

  When I was 45 or so, I learned what “subtext” means. It was a lawyer who said it to me – “There’s no subtext” – on the phone, and from his context I gathered that he used the word … Continue reading →

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Consulting

Posted on January 3, 2011 by sputterpub

     When I was 29 I became a consultant. I think I’d been practicing for some time, at least since high school, when I had friends instead of boyfriends and counseled them so much my mother called me Dear Abby. … Continue reading →

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Muni Ride

Posted on December 30, 2010 by sputterpub

   When I was 23 I lived and worked in San Francisco, and I commuted on the Muni bus. I rode popular lines at popular times so I didn’t always get a seat. I’ll never forget the rainy Wednesday I … Continue reading →

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Reward

Posted on December 29, 2010 by sputterpub

    When I was 42 or so, I happened to board the home-going bus behind two chatting people. The woman was first, and she half-turned to her male companion as they entered the vehicle, announcing that she’d finally done it. “It” … Continue reading →

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Tell

Posted on December 28, 2010 by sputterpub

   When I was 4 or 5 years old, I heard the story of the Sleeping Beauty. The first time was charming, but always after that, even when I read the beautiful version in the Shirley Temple Storybook, it frustrated … Continue reading →

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Ginnette

Posted on December 27, 2010 by sputterpub

   When I was 5 years old, my favorite toy was a Ginnette doll. She didn’t look exactly like this picture, and I didn’t know till I searched for the illustration whether her name had one “n” or two, but … Continue reading →

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The Kindness of Strangers

Posted on December 23, 2010 by sputterpub

     When I was 34 I think, I had a little breakdown. It was the holiday season, and I’m sure I was under shopping pressure (I don’t like to shop), and things had not been going well. I was probably … Continue reading →

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Unhumbug

Posted on December 22, 2010 by sputterpub

When I was 48 or so, I dropped the grumpiness about Christmas season. It was December and I was falling into annual complaint mode – you know: critical about how soon the commercial decorations went up, how bombarding the ads … Continue reading →

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No Show

Posted on December 16, 2010 by sputterpub

When I was 9 or 10 years old, the tooth fairy failed to visit. Before I went to sleep I placed my tissue-wrapped tooth under my pillow. When I awoke I sent my hand right there, ready to grasp a … Continue reading →

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