Call me by my name

I have a three syllable name. It is not uncommon for people to immediately want to truncate it. The other day a man I’ve met a handful of times called me Kim in greeting, it was warm and friendly and harbored no ill will. I don’t remember what automatic acknowledgement Read more

By justk, ago

wasting time hung up on the details

Pandemic days. Every day is not the same. That is a myth perpetrated by nostalgia. I’ve clocked many hours on Zoom (a platform I knew nothing about 8 weeks ago). I wonder if the blue light protection in my glasses is diminished every time I clean the lenses. Thoughts ricochet Read more

By justk, ago

the weight of skin

We are mostly water. A gallon of water weights 8.34 pounds. The human heart on average is less than a pound. To be all heart is not nearly that substantial. The biggest human brains are 3.5 lbs at most. But what is the weight of the largest organ, the skin? Read more

By justk, ago

Aunty love

When I was a girl, the aunties were everything. They had the best outfits, told the best stories, gave the best presents. They also unleashed the worst punishment. They could have me in stitches one minute and then cut me down to dejected outcast with a stinging word. Jamaican aunties Read more

By justk, ago

feeding time

I am a failed bulimic. I couldn’t ever get the purge part right. I loved the eating part – if it was a food I loved I just wanted to keep enjoying the delicious sensations. I would ignore the protests of my stomach to satisfy mouthfeel cravings.Chocolate, yes. But also Read more

By justk, ago

remember to give thanks

I started this year with a forty day gratitude challenge. It seems a lifetime ago. The challenge was a mental health exercise which seemed timely then and prescient now. A wise friend once told me that while you’re practicing gratitude you’re incapable of having a pity party; it’s like sneezing Read more

By justk, ago

the other side of tuesday

Monday was such a prick. Unbelievable. Weeks on end of all this talk. Things are going to be different. Get used to a new normal. The earnest avowals. I’ve really had a chance to reset. I am in a good place right now, I wake up feeling rested. Insomnia is Read more

By justk, ago