Last week, I was sparring a black belt in Taekwon-do. Let me first say, sparring is the thing I find most intimidating about the sport. I like practicing forms, I like breaking boards and kicking bags, but facing another person? A person who is unpredictable and fast and (presumably) kind and not actually intending me … Continue reading Sijak
The best Christmas song out there is Brenda Lee's I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus, and I know just why, because: This song is a social justice anthem. Think about: it's pretty much impossible to escape Christmas music around the holidays, whether or not you celebrate. From old classics like The Christmas Song to newer ones—Mariah … Continue reading Have yourself a merry little everything
Every year, it's my job to pick the perfect Christmas tree. And every year for the past fifteen or more, we go to the Red Shed, a family-owned outdoor tree lot that pops up around Thanksgiving at 18th and Burnside, in the heart of the inner east side. Some years we take the kids; some … Continue reading The perfect tree
I left my phone on a shuttle bus in Denver, Colorado, after a conference, and I didn't get it back for a full week. I spent eight days without the constant reassurance of my phone, and it was— Let me cut in: this is not the essay you think it is. You're expecting an essay … Continue reading Disconnecting to reconnect
I discovered something today: endorphins. My kids and I started taking Taekwondo together, three times a week. It's hard, and I'm clumsy and slow and keep getting my low blocks and high blocks mixed up. Warm-ups consist of—among other things—twenty-five pushups (on our knuckles!) and between 75 and 125 crunches. Now you have to understand, … Continue reading Old dog, new tricks
