When I was a little kid, I had a bag of marbles. We used to play marbles outside in the dirt for hours. Can you imagine kids doing this today? We almost always went outside to play, unless the weather was really bad. I remember one day my friend Bruce Robinson and I climbed up to the top of a couple of young maple trees during a ferocious wind storm. We held on to those thin trees for dear life as the merciless wind buffeted us around. We were both screaming at the top of our lungs in real fear. ...

I was trying to think of an interesting activity the other day for an English class, and I came up with a Gadget Autobiography. I could see what the shape of it would be; less then and more now, but once I got going I found I had a short anecdote to go with each thing. I also kept thinking of more as I went along. There will be more no doubt.

1960’s

Black and White TV, Radio

I remember watching the TV and being scared by the credits on Dr. Who – a popular ...

I recently had reason to spend quite a bit of time at the hospital – though not for myself. I’ve always disliked them on the grounds that they mean someone is in pain and is suffering, such as my wife when she was having the kids, and the elderly relatives and parents when they were ill and dying. This is still true, and was true this time, but I’ve come to see it in a somewhat different shade as well.

My wife loves the hospital, as she sees it as a place of healing and helping. She ...

For you still I fail to find a name
Incapable of arranging a place
Once I tried to describe your form
With the help of those immortal gods

And you the mysterious messenger
Why always holding your head high
Even without showing your sneer
Wearing an unfathomable face forever

Perhaps I would then have gone
just like when I came, in silence

I will take away some black flowers
The wind will clean up the road
The rain will sprinkle fresh color for grass
Again along the deserted road people will walk

If you by chance see a butterfly
after the rain, dancing in the sunlight
Please don’t disturb her peaceful happiness.