à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Cheri Huber
Why “Fake It ‘Til You Make It” is ‘Fekakta’
Of all the sound bites abounding in our culture, “fake it ’til you make it” has widespread appeal. And for those of you who did not have Yiddish-speaking elders, fekakta means something akin to “f***ed up”. The “fake it” mantra is supposed to help people. Feeling blue? Pretend you feel better until you *really* feel … Continue reading
Knitting as Zen Practice
For years, I’ve had a knotty relationship with knitting. As a teenager, I envied friends who, having learned the skill from their mothers, aunts or grandmothers, whipped up scarves and sweaters. In my freshman year at college, I decided to learn, and took a lesson at a yarn shop down the road from my suburban … Continue reading
Backpack On, Backpack Off
Boots on. Boots off. Lights on. Lights off. I have been on the Camino for just a week yet it feels much longer, perhaps because in some ways, each full day is the same. At the hostels, the lights go on at 6:30-7:00am, we repack our rucksacks, put our boots and packs back on and … 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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