à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Starting Over
Fire, Fire Everywhere
Wildfire after wildfire has been raging here in Colorado over the last few days. First I learned of the fire outside Fort Collins, 90 minutes from Denver. Although far enough away to be out of sight, winds carried smoke to the city, an acrid reminder of the destruction. While hiking last Saturday in Rocky Mountain … Continue reading
Primary Care, Second Rate Treatment
I’m beginning to think that finding a doctor is like dating, an adventure punctuated with high hopes and dashed expectations. Sometimes, one gets lucky and feels simpatico right away. Other times, one might — out of convenience, inertia, fear of the unknown — stay in a relationship that is OK but not great or avoid … Continue reading
Things Can Change in an Instant
On Saturday I awoke at 5a.m., intending to hike Mt. Flora (13,146′) and neighboring peaks with the Colorado Mountain Club. I hadn’t been at altitude in weeks, partly because I had been nursing a tweaked knee, partly out of fear. The longer I’m away from the higher peaks, the worse I feel and the harder … Continue reading
Bullies and Bullets
My sixth grade teacher had a bristly mustache, acne scarred skin and a bulbous red nose one might find on an alcoholic. He sported mobster-like sunglasses, a leather jacket and a swagger. More often than not he sat on (rather than at) his desk in a corner of our rectangular classroom. The rest of us … Continue reading
Beginnings
Growing up in a suburb of Harvard University, I imagined that life was some kind of an escalator, and once you stepped aboard, maybe after college, or even before, you just kept going up and up and up, a nonstop ascent to the top. The top of what, I didn’t really ask myself. I also … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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