Everything That Rises

Stepping into her house was like stepping back in time. A large, framed portrait of a handsome young man in a tan polyester suit clings to the faux-wood paneled walls. The tweed upholstered furniture sits on the rust colored carpet—unworn monuments of an uninterrupted life. She sits in a small lift chair by the door, surrounded by shelved trinkets of memories that pierce the marrow of her ever-aging bones. There are figurines of bright-eyed children, vases with no flowers, and pieces of lined paper taped to the wall above her phone with the numbers of the local hospital, her home nurse, and the man who brings her lunch and dinner everyday. Her ninety-one years plays like the lines of ancient Greek tragedy. Like most women in her generation, she married young to the man that everyone knew would be her husband. The happily married couple soon became a trio with the birth of their daughter, and several years after, the family was completed with the birth of a son. The family of four was l...

What do you think of when you hear the word "luxury"? Personally, I think about walnut-accented interior, heated leather seats, in-ground pools, marble counter tops, and real silverware you actually eat with. Maybe you think about gated driveways, Armani suits, designer sunglasses, and "tea-cup" breeds of dogs. Perhaps you think about high-rise apartments with rare works of art and handmade oriental rugs. Whatever the case, I'm willing to bet you think about those things that are intrinsically tied to money, or to be more specific, a lot of money . I have a real hunch you would never consider running water a luxury. Or how about electricity, for every hour of every day? What about food (and I don't mean caviar or Kobe beef)? Is food really a luxury? What about health care (too political?)--is it a luxury too? Here's one to really send your head spinning: is debate a luxury? Hear me out. Is it a luxury that we can actually sit in groups and argue about t...