The Late, Great, Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks, New York City, 2000
With a deep sigh, I woke up yesterday to the news of Oliver Sacks’ passing. Like many who had read his riveting OpEd about his terminal illness, we knew this was coming. I’d become familiar with his work through pieces in The New Yorker, but it was fascinating to recently learn about his personal life. He was a closeted gay man who didn’t publically come out until this year. I particularly loved this detail shared by the Times that after 35 years of celibacy and “at a certain distance from life,” Dr. Sacks writes about unexpectedly falling in love — “(for God’s sake!) I was in my 77th year” – which required giving up “the habits of a lifetime’s solitude,” like decades of meals that consisted mostly of cereal or sardines, eaten “out of the tin, standing up, in 30 seconds.”
What Do You Love?
Yesterday was National Dog Day and friends all over Facebook were posting photos of themselves smitten with their hounds. I understand why. There’s hardly a stronger bond than the one with our pets. But I have other ardor to spread around, too. There’s new and old friends, ballet class, Claudia Rankine (don’t miss her profile on Serena Williams), summer tomatoes, going to the movies by myself on a Sunday morning, the artwork of Geoff McFetridge, bolognese sauce, orchids and Stephen Colbert. And of course, there’s you. What makes your top 10 list?
Photo from newyorkshitty
You Are Strong, Powerful and Beautiful
This bomber jacket is part of The Greatness Collection designed by Serena Williams, which will include her message, “you are strong, powerful and beautiful” on the lining.
Advice to Your Younger Self
Please watch this to the end. And tell us what advice you’d give to your younger self.
(My advice: Don’t lie at the beach without sunscreen.)
Civic Engagement
In Los Angeles, there is an online interface for residents to request city services, like bulky item pickups, graffiti removal and pot hole repairs. There’s even a phone app. In April, I reported a ficus hedge down the block that an owner had allowed to get so overgrown, it engulfed the sidewalk, forcing pedestrians onto a dirt parkway. It took 4 months and 12 follow-up phone calls, but it finally got trimmed today. Civic engagement takes patience, but it works.
Illustration by Lee Crutchley
Archive for August, 2015
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