Surpassing The Gift of the Magi One of the sights that puzzles and saddens me post-Christmas is that of presents, some of them still unopened, being unceremoniously dumped into donation bins placed at the doors of thrift shops. For someone
Saroyan and a Haircut
While at university I had stumbled upon William Saroyan, the Armenian-American author, and immediately fell in love with his style of writing from the heart. Saroyan’s values resonated with my ideals during those formative years. “I do not believe in
Kafka and Hawthorne in the Time of Covid – A Personal Experience
One of the most poignant scenes in literature is in Kafka’s Metamorphosis, where Gregor Samsa’s parents, who are heartbroken and embarrassed by his physical transformation into a disgusting insect, take the painful decision of confining him to his room in
Nature – the Spurned Gift
While traveling in an eastern nation some years ago, I marveled at how even something as insignificant as a business card, was received with both hands and a bow, with respect and gratitude, quite in contrast to the cursory manner
Flowers in a Pandemic
Early this Sunday morning (India time) a friend from the US (unintentionally, I’m sure – she must have been sleepy) texted me, “Will you ever be able to come back?” It was a sobering thought that hastened my exit
How Long Must a Person Live to Make a Difference in this World?
This morning, while walking to the center of town in Shillong, (Khasi Hills, Meghalaya State, India), I chanced upon a statue I had not noticed before. (Not that there are many statues in this town, unlike Russia, Armenia, or other