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SAINTLY THOUGHTS AND OTHER ECCLESIASTICAL MATTERS
I am quite aware that it is unseemly of me to dictate an essay on saintly matters and other ecclesiastical thoughts. Be that it as it may, on this Yom Kippur afternoon that is where my thoughts are headed. A learned gentleman once said to me that Catholic saints offer some specific qualities. For example,…
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A LITTLE THISA AND A LITTLE THATA
Those of you with prodigious memories may recall that in 2009 there were three essays appearing in this space. All of them had to do with Ben Bernie, the orchestra leader of the 1930s, 1940s and ‘50s. When Ben Bernie led his orchestra through a medley of songs, he would often introduce it as “a…
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GUY D’
As most of you know, I worked for the AT&T Company for a long time. During the last seven or eight years, my duties were with what was then called the Overseas Department. Basically this had to do with telecommunications outside of the United States. It was an assignment that brought a great personal satisfaction. …
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UPON BEING TIRED AND FEARED
This essay is being written for those who trace their birth to nearly pre-historic times. Specifically, it is being written for those of us who have passed the age barrier of 80 so long ago that it must be viewed in the rear view mirror of our lives. Facts are facts and no magic hoopla…
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MOLASSES MOBILITY
Upon reflection, it may be that this essay should be properly entitled “Molasses Immobility.” But we will get to that question a bit later. It may well be that readers of Ezra’s Essays are unfamiliar with the term molasses. I always try to be helpful in these circumstances and here is what a reference source…
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FORBIDDEN WORDS
As an essayist, I welcome all words that will fit appropriately in my essays. There are several million people who write better essays than I do, including Christopher Hitchens. Hitchens is in love with the words he writes and the longer and more obscure terms suit him greatly. My essays are less esoteric and deal…
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POLK SALAD (SALET)
This essay has to do with a vegetable or a weed that appears in the springtime and is uncultivated. It grows along hedge rows and along the highways and when it reaches maturity, it is quite poisonous. Also this essay is an exercise in nostalgia. It has to do with my mother, who departed this…
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RANDOM THOUGHTS: BOTH BAD AND GOOD
In these days of the winter, I find that my mind produces some random thoughts. They don’t go together. Rather they are individual thoughts that strike me from time to time. As the title of this essay suggests, there are some bad thoughts, and quite separately, there are good thoughts. One of the least praiseworthy…
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SICK CALL
Anyone who wishes to extol the virtues of medicine as practiced by the United States Army is clearly out of his mind. This encompasses active military service as well as the Veterans Administration. My experience of a little bit more than three years in the American Army would seem to suggest very vociferously that anyone…
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SAVERS OF STRING
I have given this essay the title which may recall some distant memories of the Bible by calling it “Savers of String” instead of “String Savers”. Now having settled that question, I would like to dedicate it to Thelma Dupont. This essay is so dedicated to Thelma because she comes from a family larger than…