There are far worse things than waiting — I wish I had waited for you with more patience and grace To breathe deeply with eyes closed like the yogi who sits with legs crossed I wish to understand the simple lesson that waiting doesn’t mean to suffer To wait as calmly as a housecat who sits by the…

At the Third Street Promenade — Peter is delusional — and carries a rubber fish down the Third Street Promenade after an imaginary trip through the rainforest, where he took a slow safari across the Black Lagoon Peter stays in character, a much-maligned fishmonger, flouting his slippery salmon, caught off the Santa Monica pier, with a crucifix for a rod…

The billionaires plan their great escape — I first met Mr. Billionaire when I did a story on him for the Atlantic. He was one of those elitist types who freaked you out. He never lived in an ordinary world. …

A breakfast that went poetic — The chef whisked the eggs vigorously, and poured them into a skillet — taken out just in time, fluffy and light, instead of overcooked and stringy The chef must have had a vision how to make the perfect egg — dreams of warm yellow colors, a cook’s culinary passions in a kitchen of…

When a relationship runs its course — I told my weeping friend, she’d get through this trauma, that her relationship had run its course, fell apart with the changing seasons; and once the bond fulfilled its purpose, lovers go their separate ways I told my weeping friend, her pain will lessen with time, the tears will stop falling, unfulfilled dreams…

The legend of a teenager — A teenager tagged a lot of walls in the day — a troubled kid who had a learning disability but kept buried in a basement of incorrigibles, a noisy remedial class with no windows — only head-bangers, miscreants, and recalcitrants His hostility was bound to explode — so he dropped…

Famous and photogenic — I was surprised to see Ben Franklin in Santa Barbara, some three-thousand miles from his home in Philadelphia. Having grown up in the City of Brotherly Love, this man was my icon. He was a statesman, newspaperman, author, scientist, oceanographer, diplomat, and inventor extraordinaire. A few of his famous quotes: …

Literally — The older I get, the more I act like a dog, literally. Maybe I’m not as cute as a poodle or a pug, but my behavior sure resembles a canine. I first realized the dog similarity after a meal — especially if I eat food that’s high in fiber. I…