Author Archives: g24khamr

Back when I was (much) younger, in the days when forever had no end, I never thought about these moments. The world, as they say, just keeps spinning. And even if it didn’t, do you know what would happen? We wouldn’t fly off into space. We wouldn’t die. The world would go on but withContinue reading “And Then the Walls Came Down”

I often wake up in the middle of the night, thirsty. No, not thirsty – parched to the edge of delirium. So desperate for water I can’t think beyond taking a single precious sip, imagining it may be my last. This ritual is a psychosomatic reminder of the worst night of my life almost 31Continue reading “An Undying Thirst”

“What is real? How do you define ‘real’? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” Morpheus (and Immanuel Kant for that matter) didn’t need the Apple Vision Pro to change their views about theContinue reading “A Brief Meditation on Mediated Reality”

I’ve never dwelled on the notion of success. It’s far too subjective, too egotistical, too personal, and often too random. For some, winning awards or making a lot of money or being promoted is success; for others it’s getting out of bed and taking a shower. For me, success exists somewhere between ‘didn’t get firedContinue reading “The (Real) Secret to Success”

I’VE ONLY REALLY FEARED FOR MY LIFE TWICE.  The first time was when I was 25 years old, right before surgery to remove a tumor from my head. I remember being wheeled into the operating room, looking up at the fluorescent lights and wondering whether that was the last thing I’d ever see. The secondContinue reading “Turning to Face Your Immortality”

I’ve had two “Marys” in my life. Both aunts by marriage, both gregarious, outgoing, caring and considerate. Straight-shooters short on bullshit and long on listening. They could be lighthearted or they could be lightning, but they were always family first, family always. I lost one Mary years ago. I lost the other this week. BothContinue reading “There’s Something About Marys”

Whenever someone asks me to explain the meaning of a Jewish holiday – any Jewish holiday – my answer is always the same: “They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat.” I usually just get a courtesy laugh, but for an attention-starved comedy hack like me, courtesy laughs are tantamount to a standing ovationContinue reading “To See in the Dark”

We see the rockets shooting across the sky, white streaks of light like so many falling stars. We hear the sirens wail and watch the reporters scramble for cover. We see the streets explode and the buildings crumble. We absorb the chaos and say the prayers and promise to keep those who are suffering inContinue reading “War is a Person”

AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF APOLOGIZING AND ATONING FOR MY SINS ON YOM KIPPUR, I FINALLY GET IT. Apologizing is easy. Being sorry is hard. Apology requires little effort. An apology is almost always just words, and saying something is a lot easier than doing something. We like apologies because they make us feel better.Continue reading “Yom Kippur is No Time to Apologize”

WE ARE HERE FOR A REASON. The boy from the countryside didn’t know this yet when he and his mother, a fighter for the French resistance, were stopped near their village and warned about the German soldiers who were looking for a woman and her young son. A six-year-old boy with long hair. HIs motherContinue reading “Le Garcon de la Campagne”