Bernie Slutsky

  I dove into the deep end of the pool. My ten year old body imitating an arrow taking off into the air, then falling back down into the water, arms extended, legs kicked back in a solid line, fingertips pointed, entering head and arms first, making a minimal splash. The cool water becomes my solitude and vehicle that takes me to the bottom of the pool.  My hands touch the rough cement like surface that feels like the moon. I have reached my destination. There is nowhere else to go. I am at the very bottom of the earth.  I bend my legs to make contact with the bottom of the pool just as I pull back my arms. I kick off the hard surfaced bottom of the pool to propel me all the way back up like a torpedo. My head shoots out of the water into the daylight.  I inhale the warm summer air into my lungs.  For that moment I am full of joy. My body dove into the depths of a place where I haven't been before. And then I arise. This is freedom. As I got older the water got ...

  She told me she will be Seventy in December. She was going to vote early to avoid the lines. She was concerned about voter suppression. She is originally from the south. I can't remember what state. She told me worked as a poll worker there a long time ago. She said how people who had registered would arrive at the polls to vote and their names weren't on the records. It happened a lot. And all the time. It was an injustice she had to live with. But she is still voting. I was calling people who lived in Rochester, MN, Minneapolis and outstate towards St Cloud. I talked to people who lived in rural areas and the city. Most people were anxious about the election. There was a mistrust that there would be fraud counting the ballots, that their own votes wouldn't be received, people would be denied actually voting, and other shenanigans.  I heard people's shock and disbelief that this could happen and does happen in the United States. It's like we've been unconscio...

  I remember when I would wake up in the morning I would ask myself what pants and shirt do I put on? I remember if it was colder, I would like to wear my brown boots I remember when I would rehearse in my mind which clients I would be seeing that day When would be the best time for me to go for my run or work out I remember placing my laptop, folders. pens, and keys, and any other accessories into the backpack to bring to the office I might even throw an energy bar or two in an empty pocket I remember making the vanilla protein shake with spinach, bananas, and frozen mango It would turn into a creamy green Usually I'd drink half and bring the rest to the office I'd finish it at about 10:00 AM just when my most difficult session was usually scheduled I liked getting to the office early to give me time to settle in before my first client  I might read their chart to catch me up or read the newspaper online to see the latest on the Vikings or Timberwolves Sometimes I would worko...

  I was getting some cashews from the pantry in the kitchen when the blast from outside got my attention for a split second. I thought maybe we lost the power. I noticed there wasn't light or sound from the den where I was watching the news. I heard my wife from another room in the house loudly saying, "Did you hear that? Was that inside the house?" That's when I realized we did lose the power. I grabbed a flashlight and turned it on. I went down the stairs into the dark basement. I checked the power box to see if anything blew out and saw that wasn't the case. We learned a bit later there was a power outage in the area. We had to wait until it got repaired. Without electric power there is no access to the internet which means nothing works. Our television runs through the internet so watching that was out. Both of our phones were minimally charged so we needed to preserve them because we couldn't power them up. The stove doesn't function without electrici...

I recognize the tall gentleman who is waiting for his order. He has a complete mask covering his face. But I can still tell he is the guy that works out at the JCC where I do. His locker isn't far from mine. He's also a republican. Does he see me and is ignoring me? Do I acknowledge him or should I not bother after all he is a republican? I finally say, "Hey! I've seen you at the J!" He replies in a friendly way and uses masculine affectionate terms like, "man, and brother." We exchange conversation about how the JCC is practically empty and he goes there in the mornings when it first opens at 7:00 AM. I tell him I got my own equipment and I work out at home. He tells me the lockers are open and something about how they are blocked. I want to tell him about having my own spin bike and set of adjustable weights, but his order was ready and he left. I didn't know if he had changed his political views in the past several months like some other people ha...

  Today I'm going over to my daughter's apartment to help her move.  We'll take apart her bed in order to get it out of the doorway.  We'll move her large monitor for her computer and maybe plants. I'm her dad and that's what dads do. I don't remember my dad ever help me move. I hardly lived in the same city as him as an adult. My father didn't own a car. When I was real young in the nineteen fifties, he drove a Chevy carry-all. It was for the furniture store he was a part owner. It was used for deliveries. I remember him packing it up when we would go on vacation in the summer. I am happy to help her. Not just because I'm her dad. I like her. She is a remarkable young woman. I don't brag about her to other people. It seems sac-religious. Don't get me wrong. If someone asks how she is doing, I tell them about how she has become the director of development for the organization she works for. I usually don't brag about anything. Or toot my ...