à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Freedom
Dispatch from Barcelona “Base Camp”
The films of Pedro Almodovar captivated me when I was younger, especially “Women on a Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”. The actresses he hired for that movie did not have traditional looks. One, whose name I can’t recall, had a slightly bent nose, a narrow face, and huge asymmetrical red lips. I remember being enthralled … Continue reading
When a Transit Annoyance Morphs Into Adventure
When I think about Boston’s MBTA, my soul shrivels. Having enjoyed far more efficient and pleasant transit in other countries, its squeaky trains, delayed buses and cumbersome kiosks grate on me. Yet, in avoiding it I’ve constrained myself. Driving into the city and finding parking is stressful and costly. Using Uber adds up. Since I … Continue reading
What’s the Feldenkrais Method? A Beloved Spiritual Offers an Answer
People have never thought about how consciousness develops. You’ll see, in the long run, people will have to become skeleton conscious. – Moshe Feldenkrais (Amherst, July 2, 1981) My mother used to sing this tune to me when I was growing up. Perhaps you’ve heard it, too. Toe bone connected to the foot bone Foot … Continue reading
Why It’s OK, Even Imperative, to Laugh at the Tiki Torch Troglodytes
My late father, a survivor of Auschwitz, periodically told variations of the following joke when I was a kid: “Did you know that Jews and bicyclists caused World War II?” “Why the bicyclists?” I naively asked the first time. “Why the Jews?” After delivering the punchline, my dad chuckled. I either rolled my eyes, groaned … Continue reading
Am I “Turning Japanese”?
A thought recently hit me over the head: many of the things I do, practice and love are Japanese. These include the Konmari method of decluttering with its emphasis on simplicity and joy, my practice of Zen meditation, my ongoing lust for sushi, my habit of drinking green tea and, most importantly, my recent foray into Aikido. The thought … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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