David Altshuler, M.S.
(305) 978-8917 | [email protected]

Author: David

Estate

Lillian Helman took care of Dorothy Parker until Dorothy Parker died. Lillian did what people do: hired a house cleaner, ran some errands. Lillian thought she would be compensated when Parker and her “cobra wit” ascended to the great typewriter in the sky. She was not. Parker’s will left everything

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On-line

In a valiant attempt to “save time” Patti and I trundled off to the Charlotte Airport yesterday afternoon to sign up for “Global-Skip-the-Line-Retinal-Scan-TSA-Double-Secret-Probation-Decoder-Ring-PreCheck” having been unable to negotiate the required forms on the “computer” because we are old, curmudgeonly, and–on a good day–technologically inept. Or so we thought. Because, as

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The North Wind

The vast majority of my running buddies have never been invited to put their hands in my mouth. A smaller number of my running buddies and I have breakfast together Thursday mornings, a tradition dating back 38 years. But some members of the group were in nursery school when Coach

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Reconciliation

How do we put together “he who hesitates is lost” and “look before you leap”? Side by side the two sayings seem contradictory. But maybe “look before you leap” doesn’t mean don’t leap—ever. “Look before you leap” might mean be cool, take your time, think it over. Then go ahead

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When in Disgrace

At my dad’s 85th birthday fete, he and the dozen other members of the poetry group gathered to recite. The titular head of the group handed out copies of “When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes.” My dad handed back the paper, not disdainfully but with the same grace

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How Do You Know?

 Whoever said, “life is hard and then you die” was a starry-eyed optimist in that those of us who have done the parenting thing for a bit would argue that the author left out a number of “are we there yets?” and a great many “how do you knows?” along

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Addiction One, Two, Three

Our understanding of and treatment for substance use disorder has evolved over the past half century. Moral failing and weakness of will were where we started. Imprisonment, punishment, and public humiliation were supposed to cure craving. Blood letting is a comparable example of the cure being worse than the disease.

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Keep You Eye on the Wolf

I have never called my doctor at home on a Sunday afternoon to complain of a medical issue. But I could. Robin and I have been friends since elementary school. Robin’s sibling and I had lunch just the other day. I have been a guest in Robin’s house any number

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Ai! Se cayo!

My first abortive foray into learning Spanish was in elementary school. “He’s falling! He’s falling! Ai! He fell!” (Se cae! Se cae! Ai! Se cayo!) is all I remember from many years of instruction. Never one to give up easily, I am picking up the trail something over half a

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Alphabet Soup

Mrs. K’s narrative is overwhelmingly sad. Her son is underperforming in school. Her son won’t listen to her. Her son is smoking pot. Her son doesn’t come home when he says he will. Her son would rather do anything than do what she tells him to do. Her son’s friends

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Copyright © David Altshuler 1980 – 2022    |    Miami, FL • Charlotte, NC     |    (305) 978-8917    |    [email protected]