non-fiction
I got myself a couple of mini-interventions this month. I don’t get them often because I am highly independent as well as incredibly impatient with bullshit so most people are afraid of having their head handed to them. I don’t blame them I don’t particularly like giving myself an intervention either. They can be wrenchingly … More But…,
It was New Year’s Eve 2007. I had just come from a party at my best friend’s house and I was trying to hail a cab at about 1am on a semi-quiet street on the Lower East Side. I was in a snit. My best friend’s friend had pawned her nine-year old off on me, … More The Rules of Disengagement
I’m a Catholic. An irreverent Catholic, full of contradictions spiritual and otherwise, but I am and have been a part of that religious community off and on for many years. I went to religious schools growing up. The public school in my neighborhood was an unacceptable alternative to my mother and like many parents raising … More Repairing faith
There was a time that I seriously considered using my love of the written word for a career in journalism. So when I was offered my first opportunity to be a paid journalist and the subject was “celebrations of love”, I jumped at it despite my inherent reservations at being outed as an extreme quixotic. … More Celebrations of Love
It occurred to me recently that I had acquired yet another label in my life. One more label that defines me and tells my story in such an easily digestible way that almost anyone could presume they understand me. In the past when I attained a new label, I’ve often felt like I entered an … More Defining Widows & Orphans
I would hazard a guess that this has been a rough week for most people. This article is not about Michael Brown or Robin Williams but I will refer to them occasionally to assist with the meandering path I’ll be taking to my point. Bear with me. This was a week filled with mixed emotions … More Gracious Assumptions
I’ve been pretty blog quiet lately. Now if you know me you know quiet is not a natural state for me. Even when I’m not saying anything…I’m saying something…you know what I mean? My hiatus is involuntary yet calculated. I would have liked to continue exploring this platform and have thought of it often but … More First Draft: To outline or not to outline
It took me a long time to realize that I enjoyed being alone. It also took a long time to know that there wasn’t anything wrong with that. Like everyone else, there have been occasions, many in fact, when I’ve felt unbearably lonely. Although truth is, it hasn’t been so often that I would relinquish … More Quiet, don’t interrupt.
Lily Java 