Lori Duff Writes
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. It’s a proverb attributed to Saint Ambrose back in the fourth century. It’s good advice, that’s why it’s lasted almost two thousand years. It’s simple: when you’re on someone else’s turf, you should conform to their norms, not impose your own on their society. Try to fit…
I couldn’t work in customer service. It’s hard enough for me to service the clients I have, and I like most of them and know them personally. I can’t imagine working a job where you have to answer the phone knowing a dissatisfied stranger is on the other end. But. If you do have that…
I stand by the proposition that everyone has an interesting story to tell. I also stand by the proposition that not everyone has the ability to tell an interesting story interestingly. Some of y’all speak in first draft and I really wish you’d consult with an editor before you subject me to that version. Think…
I sometimes get a flash of memory from things I did or said before I was, say, twenty-five years old and I am nearly felled with humiliation. Man, I was a weirdo before my frontal lobe fully developed. When I was an adolescent. I guess everyone spends time trying on personalities. You’ve got to figure…
If you’ve ever laid eyes on me in person, you’ll see that it’s obvious I’m not a picky eater. True picky eaters don’t have this much cushioning. While I do appreciate fine wine and the subtle flavors of artisanal cheeses, I also like a good Cheeto[1] and a Taco Bell Crunch Wrap Supreme on occasion.…
I’ve always thought Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was a load of horsehockey. For those of you who don’t know what Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is, in a very small nutshell, it’s a theory that you first have to worry about food and shelter before you can worry about your basic safety. Then you have to…
My house is twenty-six years old. We were the first owners of the house, so we remember it when it smelled like fresh-cut wood and paint. It’s no longer shiny and new. It’s dusty and cluttered, the paint is peeling, and the appliances have mostly been replaced piecemeal, so they don’t match. It looks dated.…
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” ― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad / Roughing It I recently returned from a two-week…
Phyllis. I think her name would be Phyllis. Phyllis is a strong, sturdy, no-nonsense name. Phyllis gets things done. Phyllis is where she is supposed to be when she is supposed to be there. Phyllis does what she says she is going to do without delay. Now that I’m in my mid-fifties, I no longer…
My husband and I recently celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary. That’s a long time. It’s not half my life, but it’s darn close. I’m aware of the age of the Earth, though it’s hard for me to conceptualize that many years. It’s really hard for me to conceptualize the Earth existing longer than I have…