à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Language
Learning “Swimese”…or is it “Swimish”?
I love languages. I delight in discovering that, in some other tongues, nouns are gendered, reflexive verbs romp through the vernacular, and tenses (other than past, present and future) abound. Pronouncing vowels differently exercises my jaw and lips. Mastering syntax and grammar challenges my brain, and encountering nuanced concepts expands my mind. Having even basic … Continue reading
Do I want to be “nice”?
I’ve never liked the word nice. It frequently grates on my nerves like other four letter words, even though, unlike its coarser cousins, it’s acceptable in conversation. Perhaps my revulsion at nice began when, growing up, I kept hearing the phrases “nice Jewish girl” and “nice Jewish boy”, which implied docility and conformity to family … Continue reading
Mothers, I Ate Your Chocolate
As I pushed a grocery cart through a main aisle of Sunflower Market yesterday, I passed a table with food samples. I slowed down and saw chocolate pieces piled in pastel cupcake liners. An employee with wiry silver hair and a creased brown face stood nearby. “Are you a happy mother?” she asked. I stopped, … Continue reading
Does “commitment” demand “sacrifice”?
My previous post on what it means to commit, and the comments it generated, has inspired further reflection. One view is that “commitment” requires “sacrifice”, a relinquishing of something else (presumably desirable) in order to honor the commitment. And our minds, conditioned to think in black and white, reinforce the idea of a tradeoff, which … Continue reading
Trashing Clichés
I took out the trash today. “So what?” you say. And that, to any spiritual gurus who might be reading, is exactly my point. Not long ago I was listening to a recorded interview of a seeker/guru/author who said something like, “Even if you have an enlightenment experience (on retreat), once you’re home you still … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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