contributed to The Globe and Mail, Facts and Arguments Some time ago I read that iodine and alcohol are not recommended for treating cuts and scrapes because they can be quite caustic on raw, broken skin. This major scientific discovery came a few years too late for me. My mother used copious amounts of both … Continue reading My childhood was the original Fear Factor
Category: Personal Essays
What is a mistake?
For months I’ve been puzzling over the question, sometimes until my head hurt. I’ve read books on the psychology of mistakes, journalistic mistakes, life-altering mistakes, history-changing mistakes. I’ve listened to stories people have told me about the mistakes they believe they’ve made, and for their courage and honesty I will be forever grateful. Still, after … Continue reading What is a mistake?
A map to the treasure house
Memory is the treasure house of the mind. ~ Thomas Fuller I once watched a movie, only to get the sneaking feeling, quite near the end, that I had seen it before. No matter—I couldn’t remember the ending, so it wasn’t spoiled for me. The movie was Identity, and it all takes place in the … Continue reading A map to the treasure house
The terrible twenties
In her TED talk, "Why 20 is not the new 30," psychologist Meg Jay urges twenty-somethings to make the most of what she calls this defining decade of their lives, instead of treating it as an extension of their adolescence. "Claiming your 20s," she says, "is one of the simplest, yet most transformative, things you can … Continue reading The terrible twenties
Language lessons
An edited version of this essay was published under the title "Found in translation" in the June–July 2013 issue of Verily Magazine. One can say of language that it is potentially the only human home, the only dwelling place that cannot be hostile to man. ~ John Berger Soon after I moved from to Montréal from Vancouver last fall, … Continue reading Language lessons
Mother fairest
I moved across the country to be with my mom last summer, after my dad died. She lives in Montreal, and after a few months I actually managed to find a job, despite my lack of French, so I guess I’ll stick around a while. Mom is happy to have me here, and I’m happy … Continue reading Mother fairest
The tradition of reading
One of my first memories of my mother is of her voice reading out loud to me, and of her hands holding up the book and turning the pages. I remember it was a book of nursery rhymes, and my favourite began, The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea / In a beautiful pea green boat. … Continue reading The tradition of reading
The tradition of eating together
I once overheard a teenager tell her friend that she and her mother had not eaten a meal together in four years, though they lived in the same house. “She's on some kind of diet, so we just eat what we like, whenever we like," she said with a shrug. I don't mean to sound … Continue reading The tradition of eating together
The tradition of prayer
From the title you might be led to think that the stuff of this post is going to be something ephemeral, abstract, and perhaps not to your taste, as the idea of prayer often is to many people—including, sometimes, me. Moreover, it's Christmas—a season I recently heard described as the season of Christian joy and … Continue reading The tradition of prayer
Maria Olaguera 