Any communication can be misinterpreted. Even the simplest of greetings can be processed in multiple ways. “Good morning” can be non-committal, inviting, or threatening. “Good morning” can be heard as an invitation to conversation or as a dismissive end to one. For an example of the contemptuous salutation look no
“I knew a father who had a son, He longed to tell him all the reasons for the things he’d done. He came a long way, just to explain. He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping then he turned around and headed home again.” – Paul Simon, “Slip Slidin’
Sparks and smoke billow unabashedly from a dozen places in a 18-ton machine covering 4000 square feet of a factory floor. Gears whine pointlessly as 30 men stand uselessly at their positions along the unmoving conveyor belt. Dozens of trucks are lined up outside, filled with raw materials to be
Which of the following first person stories seems more plausible? 1) “There were these two sets of double doors between the dining room and the kitchen. I carried trays stacked high with the leftover food from the plates of the patrons. On the way to hand the trays to the
In a sex ed class some 40 years ago, a student whom I did not know well asked a question about reproductive biology. His inquiry, something specific about condoms as I recall, impressed me as highly theoretical at the time. It is certainly possible that he was honestly requesting information
Some years ago driving to my girlfriend’s house, I saw an attractive young woman hitch hiking. Concerned about the quality of the neighborhood and eager to offer a hand, I slowed to a stop. This was the late 70s and girls with their thumbs out were rare. I pulled over
That organic chemistry makes more sociology majors than it does doctors is well known. Less obvious, is that colleges who claim that “92% of our pre-medical students are admitted to medical school!” are not quite telling the whole story. The 92 % figure may be accurate, but what happened to
Flamingo, in the heart of the Everglades, is 38 miles past the ranger station that welcomes natives and tourists alike to the National Park. There is a bait and tackle shop with sandwiches, ice, and souvenirs on the spit of land–emphasis on the word “spit”–that juts out into Biscayne Bay.
My undergraduate roommate, Joel, and I had become fairly friendly with our upstairs neighbor in our off-campus apartment junior year. I don’t know about Joel, but I thought it was fun to have an acquaintance who had a real job. Everyone else we knew was a student. Craig seemed much
My best friends growing up were three brothers who introduced me to–among other things–The Silly Book, and the cartoon character, “Boodleheimer.” It would be difficult, almost 50 years down the road, to overestimate the extraordinary joy that Rod, Paul, Frank, and I got from the following verse of the “Silly
Copyright © David Altshuler 1980 – 2024 | Miami, FL • Charlotte, NC | (305) 978-8917 | [email protected]
