Upside Down Kris

Ah, the everlasting conundrum of the beginning. Where to start? How do I begin? Where do I go for help? I believe the answer to all these questions lies in another question: why. Why am I doing this? Do I really want to start this? What do I really want? Why? If we answer that one question the path may become clearer. And if it doesn't, at least we're on the right track because we've narrowed down the tracks. It may be hidden behind a fanning tree, but after brushing away a branch the beginning might suddenly appear. You may find yourself saying, for example: "But I really do want to cut out sweets. I know that they're no good and that I should sever my relationship with them, or at least cut back..." But do you really want to cut out sweets? Do you want to deny yourself a piece of double decker chocolate cake (well, one bite won't hurt) or a stroll down the street while licking an ice cream? I didn't until recently. I have to admit, the example abov...

Relationships with a Dance What if instead of a handshake you reached out your hand to invite someone to dance? That is, as a greeting you lead someone in a step, or follow their lead? I've always liked to imagine the world breaking out into dance...while waiting for a bus, explaining something in the office or at school, or  jumping on the table like in the movie/musical "Hair" to grab someone's attention. I know a lot of people don't like musicals because they feel they're unrealistic, but what if they  were realistic–that you could express yourself through a song or a dance? Maybe it would be easier to get your point across in many cases... How different would relationships be if we had to move together? To smooth over that awkward start when you don't know what to say? What if you didn't have to say anything? I was thinking about this recently while norms were being swept away at swing night. Many people just put their hand out waiting for me to ac...

The Ghost Woman She used to stand there, leaning on one leg, the other ready to go. To go where? I always wondered. Where does she want to go? She would wait hours–maybe the whole afternoon, even into the evening. Was she waiting for someone to pick her up? Did a family member promise to pass by, but never came, so everyday she stood for hours expecting to see his car? I started calling her "The Ghost Woman". People passed by her–around her–as if she didn't exist. They never seemed to notice she was in the middle of the sidewalk, nor did they appear disturbed that she never moved. I began wondering if I was the only one who saw her, but my boyfriend confirmed that she was there. Everyday, without fail. Even when it snowed or rained. She would wait under a black umbrella with her thick, brown scarf wrapped around her neck. I wanted to say something to her, ask her if she was ok, or if she needed something.  But I never did. Something in her eyes didn't see me. They lo...

Last Dinner You have a premonition. It's like you know these are your last hours on Earth, similar to a cat as it slinks away into the underbrushes never to return. But you don't want to hide because a voice says: Choose your last meal . And you feel that you have to select your final succulent bite well...a last memory to start your new life. What would you choose? Which foods would you like to carry the memory of into the beyond? After all the dishes I have tried in all the countries I have visited, I have to say the food I imagine helping me into the beyond comes from my childhood. Not the sushi that I crave for every month, nor the baked bass or the ravioli filled with pumpkin that make my mouth water...not even the delectable tiramisu that I remember so well. No, for my last meal I would eat something relatively simple. First, a spoonful of peanut butter. To be specific, crunchy peanut butter. I would sit there for a while just licking the spoon, letting it stick to my pal...

Heroes What is a hero? What is a hero to you? I really think that heroes are all around us, all the time. Sometimes we simply don’t recognize them as such so they don’t get the credit. Maybe a hero talks to a person contemplating jumping off a bridge until he comes back over the railing. Or maybe heroes save a dog from drowning in a river even though the current threatens to carry them away as well. Or a hero could give you a hug or say something kind just when you need it. For me, a hero pushes himself to save someone else with an unexpected action. I’ll try to explain my idea of hero through two examples, both of them which took place in Ukraine.  It breaks my heart that there is a war between Ukraine and Russia (again). Even more saddening is the news that 13 soldiers lost their lives defending Snake Island (a small island to the south of Ukraine.) They refused when Russian soldiers asked them to “surrender to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.” Ukraine’s president awarded each of the...

The Balcony I stood looking out into the darkness. I may sound like a busybody, but I like looking into my neighbors' glass door on the left. Their kitchen light gives me hope for the rest of the day. Not even the slightest gleam came through the blackness, however, which wasn't surprising seeing as how it was 5:15 in the morning. As breakfast was warming my stomach, it was still dark. I looked out my transparent door expecting to see the balcony directly opposite. I could kind of make out an angle if I squinted, but it was very indistinct and could have been the angle to anything. Was the balcony there just because I remembered it was? 5:30 is a bit early for these musings, I know. Once I started, however, my thoughts followed each other as if they wanted to make some logical order to form an understanding. How did I really know the balcony was there? The shapes could be anything, and it was my belief in its construction that made the balcony into something. But what if things...

  Your Lifesaver Word I f you were lost in the middle of the sea and all your words were carried away from you, which word would you hold onto as your lifesaver? That is, the sea has somehow sucked all your power to recall language and you have only one word left to bring you to safety? The first word that surfaces in my mind is patience. It doesn't seem like it would help, seeing as how in such a drastic circumstance one should spring into action. I envision myself inside this tube and all I see is water. I could swim, but where? I imagine that I have splashed about, grabbing onto as many concepts as I can. However, nothing brings me closer to land, although I know sooner or later an answer might arrive on a wave. You could say: "You should have chosen hope, then." Well, it's not the first word that came to mind. In any case, I believe patience would get me further. Hope might lead me to swim my hardest in the direction of a boat that never stops. In my life, the pat...