fearing God
Several years ago, I went to the doctor for a checkup. I’d been feeling poorly for a while—tired, blue, and lethargic. I knew I needed to lose weight and return to exercising. However, sitting in that sterile medical room, across from a serious-looking doctor, my predicament finally sank in. My cholesterol was high, and my weight was out of control.…
sacred spaces
A torii is a traditional Japanese gate typically painted brilliant red and found at the entrance of Shinto shrines and Japanese Buddhist temples devoted to particular gods. Adherents to those religions believe it marks the point where one leaves the secular world and enters the holy. A large and famous torii stands off the shore of Miyajima Island in the Hiroshima…
just like the King
I hoped our dinner guest wouldn’t notice that I was staring at him. I knew it was impolite, but I was trying to decide if he looked like Elvis Presley. Let me explain. My husband had invited a friend over to eat with us who was an “Elvis tribute artist.” He told us stories of swaggering to the stage with…
whatever it takes
A province in Indonesia has asked a few of its residents to add a certain fashion accessory to their wardrobe—a padlock. Let me explain. To curb the prostitution that sometimes occurs in massage parlors, masseuses in East Java were prompted to wear a lock on the waistband of their pants.
While this idea seems a bit medieval, it certainly sends…
staying together
Last year, a woman named Joan opened a letter from a local law firm and immediately burst into tears as she read its contents. The letter stated that her divorce from husband John "had been completed." She was in disbelief—the couple from Sheffield, England, had been happily married for 36 years!
It was later discovered that the law firm had…
