David Klein's Blog, page 48
June 8, 2021
Children Are Cutting Off Their Parents
I just read a troubling article in The Economist: “How many American children have cut contact with their parents?” Quite a few: “. . . Familial estrangement seems to be widespread in America. The first large-scale nationwide survey, recently conducted by Cornell University, found that 27 percent of adult Americans are estranged from a close […]
The post Children Are Cutting Off Their Parents appeared first on by David Klein.
June 7, 2021
Keep Going, Keep Going
That’s Fred in the center of the photo, Number 8, leaning into the first turn of his motocross race, just seconds after a thunderous start and sprint out of the starting gate. Fumes and dirt flying. Combined engines like a jet taking off. A younger man’s game, right? No. Fred is my age–and he’s still […]
The post Keep Going, Keep Going appeared first on by David Klein.
June 4, 2021
Ask Dave is Getting Busy
I’ve suddenly been getting a lot of letters directed to my advice column. Clearly, people are dealing with a lot of problems these days. I can’t say I’m surprised. Recently, I advised a fellow who almost burned himself up. Then I had a letter from a VIP in New York State government, who subsequently wrote […]
The post Ask Dave is Getting Busy appeared first on by David Klein.
June 1, 2021
Who Needs Handlebars?
How better to accept and appreciate living in the suburbs than riding your bike through quiet neighborhoods of tasteful houses and smooth, paved roads, no hands, lilacs and lawnmowers in the air, sitting high above your handlebars, pedaling, arms stretched out, balancing even through the tiny thrill of leaning into a corner and turning onto […]
The post Who Needs Handlebars? appeared first on by David Klein.
May 30, 2021
Team Player or Solo Contributor?
Someone criticized me for not being a good team player. And yet I’ve always liked the idea of collaborating with others. In school, I liked being on the crew team and hockey teams. I like the camaraderie of playing basketball with the guys. I like brainstorming with others to generate ideas and solve problems. I […]
The post Team Player or Solo Contributor? appeared first on by David Klein.
May 28, 2021
ANNA KARENINA, Leo Tolstoy
It’s a major commitment to read an epic novel these days, and I don’t do it as often as I did in my younger days. I can’t say my attention span hasn’t shortened in recent years due to various factors, and the task of reading an 850-page novel seemed daunting. But I’ve never read Tolstoy […]
The post ANNA KARENINA, Leo Tolstoy appeared first on by David Klein.
May 25, 2021
Yoga Returns to Alabama
I’ve never been enamored with the South, but I developed a fondness for Birmingham, Alabama after visiting multiple times while Julia was living there for much of the past year. So I was pleased to hear this week that Alabama lifted its ban on teaching yoga in K-12 public schools—and aghast such a ban had […]
The post Yoga Returns to Alabama appeared first on by David Klein.
May 23, 2021
Writing Lesson #12: Background Information
One challenge for writers is to get in background information without interrupting the narrative flow or alienating your reader. This is true whether you’re writing a novel, a business email, or a newspaper column. In a novel, the reader might be in the middle of a tense scene and then suddenly the story grinds to […]
The post Writing Lesson #12: Background Information appeared first on by David Klein.
May 21, 2021
A Tree Grows On Woodridge Road
Fifteen, maybe eighteen years ago when the kids were young—so hard to remember every milestone—we planted a six-foot-high sugar maple and said, Oh, we’ll see it grow tall and beautiful someday, and sure enough the tree must be thirty feet high now, healthy and gorgeous in every season. Such a fine tree is our sugar […]
The post A Tree Grows On Woodridge Road appeared first on by David Klein.
May 19, 2021
Help Wanted: Better Pay
It’s a perfect Saturday afternoon with the sun shining and we’re strolling along the avenue looking for a place to have lunch. We’re vaccinated and eating out again and starting to feel hopeful the world might be on the mend. The first restaurant we stop in has a slew of picnic tables outside and a […]
The post Help Wanted: Better Pay appeared first on by David Klein.
