à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Acceptance
Spiritual Practice at Trader Joe’s
Whether you love, hate or are indifferent to Trader Joe’s, its model is distinct. According to TJ’s website, the business cuts costs by “putting innovative, hard-to-find, great-tasting foods in the Trader Joe’s name.” Although I purchase the bulk of my groceries elsewhere, I pop into their Boulder, CO store occasionally. I’ve discovered that their house … Continue reading
The Vagina Monologues as Spiritual Bootcamp
In December, I heeded an inner Yes! and auditioned for The Vagina Monologues (VM) at Boulder’s Naropa University. I wasn’t sure what, exactly, my Yes! had been about until I received my lines. That I wasn’t assigned very many caused my big fat Yes! to shrink to a more flaccid “Hmm…OK.” Perhaps the Yes! had … Continue reading
Reclaiming B.I.T.C.H.
I wonder if American culture will ever embrace, let alone celebrate, introverts, especially introverted women. I sketched this post at the end of 2013 after comparing notes on life and blogging via Skype with the author of http://www.space2live.net, which focuses on introversion. A few months ago I wrote Yes, I am a S.N.O.B. I’m proud … Continue reading
Trading Old for New, East for West
Sometimes the past visits in unexpected places. On Tuesday, I dropped off yet another donation of stuff. Normally, at this collection center, a brawny and frequently tattooed employee pushes a wheeled bin toward my car or approaches to help unload as I pull up. This time a slender man in his 60s ambled by as … Continue reading
I Love “You”, I Hate “U”
When I first heard about texting, I shuddered. I didn’t understand the appeal of shooting short messages via cell phone when one could use that same device to speak to a human. Why send an electronic burp when one could compose a more thoughtful and thorough e-mail? But consideration takes time, and in a culture … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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