Do actors’ accents perplex you?

I’m not the only person who has trouble understanding accents.

Many people complain about having difficulty on the phone with a customer service person whose native language is not English.

Those interactions bother me, too, but what I’m particularly vexed by is having trouble understanding accents on stage.

Taking a middle way on decluttering

In the 38 months before our mother’s death last October, my siblings and I cleaned out three residences of our parents: the 1,500-square-foot condo where they’d lived for 17 years; their one-bedroom, full-kitchen apartment in an assisted living home; and finally Mom’s room in a nursing home. 

Only the last one was a simple cleanout. Our parents didn’t let go of much. I resolved to be easier on my survivors. 

Revisiting my question about write-in and no votes

Readers of this blog may remember a post before Tuesday’s Chicago mayoral election in which I wondered whether a write-in ballot or no vote was ever a responsible choice.