What if I were loyal?
I had a sublime experience last night that carried into my morning so powerfully as to eclipse any other possible flair for the day. I entertained a woman who owned a service dog. This black lab sat all night at our feet, waiting to take action in case my new friend had a seizure. The […]
The Sign of a Happy Adulthood
I heard once that the greatest gift you can give a child is boredom. Dear friends of mine just left from an overnight visit. This family has five children who have mastered the art of play. You can send them out in a yard, and within a few minutes they’ve devised a game. They also […]
What My Starbucks Apron Would Say
I broke up with Starbucks last year (who can afford it?), but every once in awhile, we get back together. The barista taking orders today had on this glorious apron that said, “Coffee Master” underneath the Starbucks logo. I asked him what he had to do to become a coffee master. Apparently, it involves a […]
Finding the Flair in Trash
You’d think that my trying on a fancy dress with sparkly shoes (I’m in a wedding) or going to a nice lunch out today would constitute flair. I’m amazed with what doesn’t trip the flair sensor in me. I’m stunned with what does. I wake up each morning, and I start looking for my flair […]
Student Excuses and Flair
I receive some fantastic excuses about why students miss class. Usually these involve recovering. (Cancun recovery, Birthday party recovery, first day of Spring recovery). I have an unusual teaching philosophy. I value flair, so if you’re going to miss class, you might as well do it with flair. This means I want the true story, […]
The Flair Disaster
Today in church, during the most reflective part, a little girl in a soft pink Easter dress spilled her grape communion juice. It trickled down her dress and pooled on the floor beneath her sandals. I was sitting two rows behind her. Quickly, her grandpa and grandma (who happened to be the pastor and his […]
The Throw Back
There you are, eating a burrito or picking at a hangnail, and all of a sudden, it happens: You have a thought. I wonder about this. I read recently, in a Richard Selzer account, that “a surgeon knows the landscape of the brain but does not know how a thought is made.” Does anyone? Does […]
Luring the Turtle
Today I tried to lure a hibernating turtle out from underneath my back porch. I actually devised an elaborate plan. Coaxing turtles into the open isn’t necessarily extraordinary, but why I did it felt like flair. My elaborate plan involves calling to our turtle and leaving fruit around the yard. I realize this is ridiculous. […]
A Hand in the Wind
Sometimes flair bursts into our lives in obvious forms: a promotion at work, good news from the doctor, a first date, or an unexpected gift. Other times, we consciously create flair. We do something out-of-the-ordinary like take a vacation, enjoy a nice dinner out, or challenge ourselves to try some new sport. Today, I tried […]