à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Possibility
More on Last-Minute-Itis
Two posts ago I wrote about how, in waiting until the last minute to make lodging arrangements for a conference (The Wake Up Festival), I stumbled upon a solution to what, until then, had been a conundrum: finding affordable accommodation that did not involve multiple roommates. Pleased to be renting a room in a private … Continue reading
Lessons from a Road Trip
On Monday morning, I hit the road. Meticulous planners will be horrified to learn that I made the decision just days before (maybe they are shaking their heads and clucking their tongues at this clinically extreme case of Last-Minute-Itis). And that is exactly why I needed to take off, to give my inner perfectionist the … Continue reading
In Defense of Last-Minute-itis
There are people who plan vacations months in advance, down to the hotels they will stay in each night and the clothing they will bring. There are people who reserve a table at a restaurant weeks ahead and who book their next hair appointment while at the salon. And many people fill their social, cultural … Continue reading
Dispatch from an Olympics Grinch
I remember being glued to the Olympics when I was home one winter with pneumonia or flu (probably in 1976), with my cat and the television my main companions. I enjoyed the figure skating, with its costumes, elegant skaters and music, but couldn’t connect to the other sports. As a highly sensitive person, I hated … Continue reading
It’s All Invented
In The Art of Possibility, after decades of teaching music and seeing how students’ anxiety about grades interfered with their playing, co-author Benjamin Zander decides to give each pupil an “A” at the beginning of the semester. Their only requirement is to write him a detailed letter explaining who they will have become by the … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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