Sisyphus by Jamie Kirkpatrick
I think I know how Sisyphus must have felt. You remember Sisyphus, don’t you? In case you don’t, he was the cunning and deceitful King of Ephyra who angered the gods by cheating death—twice, even!—and revealing some secrets belonging exclusively to Zeus. His punishment was harsh: Sisyphus was sentenced to an endlessly repetitive and futile […]
Bump! by Jamie Kirkpatrick
“Because there’s always another story to tell…” I arrived in Washington for the second time in the fall of 1979. We must have looked like the Beverley Hillbillies: our small station wagon was loaded to the gills and our two little kids were buckled up in the back. Nobody was on top. I’m not sure […]
Wistful by Jamie Kirkpatrick
A dear friend and loyal reader recently told me that my last two Musings seemed, in his words, “wistful.” I don’t think he was wrong. I do yearn for simpler times: the carefree days of childhood, the strength and fearlessness of youth, even the occasional satisfactions of maturity. But old age is different. I’ve come […]
Change by Jamie Kirkpatrick
Back to school. Leaf fall. Sere cornstalks. Slant of light. It’s a time of change, a time for change. Once upon a time, I was a much freer spirit than I am now, but aging changes everything. Now, I’m finding change difficult. Instead of spontaneity, now I opt for consistency. One thing at a time, […]
Night Lights by Jamie Kirkpatrick
In a few days, we’ll pass the autumnal equinox and enter that half of the year when there is more darkness than daylight in the northern hemisphere. That’s always a sobering thought for me. I feel myself hunkering down, turning inward, getting ready to hibernate. I don’t rue the darkness; I just try to adjust […]
In the Blink of an Eye by Jamie Kirkpatrick
Gone. All gone. In the blink of an eye, a building, a business, homes: gone. A broken leg, broken dreams. All in the blink of an eye. We were headed to a friend’s home for a Labor Day party. We were just in the car when my wife realized she forgot something so she went […]
In the Blink of an Eye by Jamie Kirkpatrick
Gone. All gone. In the blink of an eye, a building, a business, homes: gone. A broken leg, broken dreams. All in the blink of an eye. We were headed to a friend’s home for a Labor Day party. We were just in the car when my wife realized she forgot something so she went […]
Meant to Be by Jamie Kirkpatrick
Some things are just meant to be, or maybe we just become who we are meant to be. A couple of nights ago, my wife and I were enjoying some peas and carrots at home. We happened upon a movie entitled “Four Letters of Love.” (It starred Pierce Brosnan so guess who chose that […]
The Sounds of Summer by Jamie Kirkpatrick
August is slipping away like a dream upon waking. It fades too quickly; I try to hold on, but I can’t. There’s too much back-to-school gibberish, too many preseason football games, the traffic is building to a crescendo. Maybe you beg for just one more week of summer, or even another day or two, just […]
The Sounds of Summer by Jamie Kirkpatrick
August is slipping away like a dream upon waking. It fades too quickly; I try to hold on, but I can’t. There’s too much back-to-school gibberish, too many preseason football games, the traffic is building to a crescendo. Maybe you beg for just one more week of summer, or even another day or two, just […]