This is the story of native New Yorker Cliff Simon, who goes to New Mexico and experiences, for the first time, the magic of the Milky Way in an entirely Steven Spielberg moment.
Finding the Perfect Light
When Cliff Simon’s cherished vintage lamp is damaged, his distress leads him to the Japanese art of Kintsugi and the point of view that something can break and still be beautiful, and that, once repaired, it is stronger at the broken places.
Rosebud is Not Just a Sled
In the film Citizen Kane, the viewer learns that the murmured word on his deathbed: “Rosebud” relates to Kane’s last moments of childhood innocence and happiness. Inspired by this flashback effect of memory, in this essay, Cliff Simon investigates the memories he might recall at the very end of his life. What will be that most important thing, moment, person, event of his life?
My Mother Lil and Me: Version 2.0
Cliff Simon blamed his mother for much of his discomfort and unhappiness, recounting her faults and his wounds, over and over, and with great humor to hide his sadness. But now, in retrospect, with the insights and compassion of age, he revisits the relationship and his role in it.
Finding My Father
As Cliff Simon approaches seventy, he sees that his face resembles that of the father who died when Cliff was fifteen. He wonders about the Polish immigrant father he never really knew, whether the feeling of being out of place in the world was inherited from him, and if his dad ever thought about such things.
A Short Trip to My Favorite Place on Earth
With travel out of the picture, Cliff Simon found a silver lining: More time to spend on his precious porch swing, where life is perfect. And a lot cheaper.
GIVE ME A BREAK: TRAVELING WITH A CAST ON
Cliff Simon has a history of accidental injuries. He’s been bandaged and restrained in the Bronx, the East Village, Harlem, Vero Beach, Austin, and Birmingham, with narrow escapes in Santa Fe and Queens. Recently, while recovering from a bone break from yet another fall, he found himself thinking about his accident-proneness. Was he cursed? A klutz? Or was there more to it?
Things Are Definitely Looking Up
In 1996, a then undiagnosed neurological condition had Cliff Simon fearing for his life with no hope in sight. Two months later everything had changed for the better. Now, when the gloom-and-doom media report depressing stories of the virus, of people mired in hatred, or science ignored and leaders mis-leading, he remembers how terrified he was in December of 1996. And, how quickly circumstances can improve.
The Lies I’ve Told About Childhood
Cliff Simon has carried memories and told stories about his family ever since he was an unhappy teenager. There’s just one problem:, they weren’t true.
Let Them Eat Cake
Like many people during this pandemic, Cliff Simon has been baking. Baking cakes has been a lifelong pleasure but under the lens of quarantine, baking and sharing have taken on new meaning and revealed new insights.