à la carte spirit by ilona fried
curiosity
A Recipe for Life: Zero Expectations + Zero Judgments + Endless Curiosity
I am in Florence, Massachusetts, a small town once home to a silk mill, named after the Italian city. As an experiment in rural living, I’m renting the lower part of a secluded home surrounded by woods, with no other residence in sight. The mailbox is a five minute walk down a narrow, winding driveway. … Continue reading
Curiosity as Portal
After swimming laps yesterday at a local recreation center, I went into the steam room. Through the thick mist I saw two figures, both men, stretching and bending. I maneuvered between them and sat on the top tiled bench. As I took a few deep breaths while adjusting to the heat, I heard a deep rumbling sound that … Continue reading
“Should” is a Dirty Word
Not long ago someone “should” on me. Inside, I recoiled and shut down rather than reach toward them. Since then, I’ve been trying to think of a context in which that word has a kind, benign or even neutral connotation. I can’t come up with a single one. Even saying the word, a single syllable with a hard … Continue reading
When Curiosity Beckons
When curiosity beckons, we don’t always know where it will take us, or how long the journey will be. Last week a friend, a spry septuagenarian who pedals around town like nobody’s business, mentioned she was overwhelmed by the thought of preparing for her upcoming yard sale. I asked her if she wanted help. My … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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