Had someone drugged the soft drink they served me, at the offices of the mining company where my newfound friends needed to make a stop? Was I influenced by the sultry thirty-something woman who insisted that I receive my first lesson in appraising sapphires? Read More

I am so grateful to Retrospect for giving me the avenue and the structure to bring these stories to life. Read More

She wanted me to be her instrument; I just wanted to be her fearless union leader. Read More

“Where’s the bowl, Daddy?” “You don’t need a bowl. Watch this.” Read More

in spite of the King's precautions, the princess, who is described as a free spirit, stumbles into...someone working at a spindle. The spindle draws a few drops of her blood... Read More

A local jazz singer had called and asked if she might come and sing at Dad's bedside. Would he like that? And would it be all right if she brought along a male vocalist she had in mind? Read More

When Dave returned to the phone and told me the call had been from a “John Steptoe,” I thought my roommates were playing a practical joke. Read More

If,a guy isn’t sure what brand of bike he is riding, then you know he’s not in the fraternity. Members not only know what brand they are riding but can tell you whether it’s made of carbon fiber, aluminum, titanium, or steel. Read More

“Tell me what you read, and I can tell you what you are.” A man said, “I read Spinoza, Shakespeare, Plato and Kant.” Read More

As I made the ascent, I took one bite of apple at a time and challenged myself to see how long I could keep each bite in my mouth before swallowing. Read More