à la carte spirit by ilona fried
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Identity and the iPhone
As a child, I loved getting the mail. I watched impatiently as the postman turned his vehicle onto our street, first delivering letters on the other side. Sometimes I stood at the edge of the driveway to track the truck’s progress as it lurched from one house to the next, the driver oblivious to my … Continue reading
Commitment: to Process or Outcome?
A few days ago I attended a women’s group focused on the theme of commitment. The word itself elicited various reactions, from excitement to a sense of burden or duty. One woman even referred to it as a curse. I smiled and nodded. Despite having written about this subject, hearing the word can still create … Continue reading
Lessons from a Purim Mask
“There is a face beneath this mask, but it isn’t me. I’m no more that face than I am the muscles beneath it, or the bones beneath that.” ― Steve Moore, V for Vendetta Last night I celebrated Purim, the Jewish holiday commemorating the community’s survival in ancient Persia despite a plot to destroy it. … Continue reading
Amtrak Case Study: How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything
A frequent business traveler on Amtrak’s Boston-New York route told me the following story. Early in the trip he’d go to the cafe car to buy a coffee, and the woman behind the counter asked if he had small bills. Since it was the beginning of the route, the train not yet full, he wondered … Continue reading
Amtrak Residency: The Perils Within the Fine Print
Recently, my younger brother clued me into the Amtrak Residency for writers, a program that has been celebrated in social media. Successful applicants will ride the rails for free, in a room of one’s own (bed, desk, and window), on a route of Amtrak’s choosing. Having traveled in a roomette from Boston to Denver in … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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