Category Archives: Guest writer

By Rick Hata In 1979, I graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia with a double degree in elementary and special education.  The year leading up to my graduation, I served as a resident assistant in an 8-story, high-rise … Continue reading →

By Janet Falk I’m 63 years old and have some gray hair. I’m wearing pants and a jacket. It’s 7:45 pm on June 28, 2016 as I wait for the bus on Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. Suddenly, a taxi pulls … Continue reading →

by Carol Blatter I’ve never been a real swimmer. Not even an imitator. But I’m not a total non-swimmer, either. I admire those who swim laps across the pool with ease and grace. My contact with water is usually reserved … Continue reading →

By Jennifer Feldmann I hopped onto the shuttle bus that would take me to the “start house” at the top of the mountain. Three others were already on the bus, all donned in bright yellow jackets with AUSTRALIA emblazoned on … Continue reading →

By “Stan” Stanaway Buried in the northern forest of Wisconsin is a place difficult to find on any map. Just as the hidden village of Three Pines, Quebec, is only found in the books of Louise Penny, a place called … Continue reading →

By Carol Blatter “Osteoarthritis happens when cartilage — the hard, slippery tissue that cushions the ends of bones at a joint — breaks down.” (Mayo Clinic). The cartilage in my right thumb joint broke down, so the pain from bone … Continue reading →

By Sandra Hurtes The essay below arose from a prompt in a class I took with “Narratively,” an online magazine on Substack. Here is a brief excerpt: “Today’s not-sad topic is: animals! For this generative day, I want you to … Continue reading →

By Marlene Samuels When my brother Jake and I were kids—twelve and eight, respectively—we lived in one of the poor immigrant sectors of Montreal. We’d been ice-skating at Beaver Lake at the top of Mount Royal when we found a … Continue reading →

By Faith Ellestad Let me explain.  In 1975, we bought a house.  It wasn’t a goal, but rather a necessity as our current landlord suddenly decided to sell the house we were renting.  Having promised he would give us plenty … Continue reading →

By Valerie Gibbons The nursing assistant stopped first at my room on her morning rounds. The RN told her my call light had been on the longest. I was in a rehab facility to learn to walk again. Lying beneath … Continue reading →