Exploring the Jungle - a Column by Mary Lott

Everything was going well. My new-to-me car responded well to the steering wheel, and the brakes were nice and tight. I’d left my house in Alabama and was heading west to visit my oldest daughter in Texas. Suddenly, it felt like my back tires ran over three small branches on…

“Can we read ‘Go, Go, Go’ again?” My student was eager to revisit this story, one she’d successfully read the previous week. “Go, Go, Go” is one of the “Dick and Jane” emerging reader series by William S. Gray, which was popular in the 1950s. My student’s new skills opened…

Summer is my all-time favorite season and always has been. I’ve been a dreamer all my life, and my favorite pastime when I was younger was to take a book outside, find a place in the woods or beneath a bush and read. I’d watch fluffy, cumulus clouds meander through…

Note: This column was updated July 25, 2025, to correct the term coagulate to agglutinate.  Three points make a plane. I learned this rule back in eighth-grade geometry class. At the time it was a bit of pointless trivia I filed away, but it was my introduction to the significance…

A friend of mine asked me, “You’re always staying home. Have you always been a homebody?” I got mad. This comment was many years ago, and it still irritates. But I didn’t express my irritation to my friend. They couldn’t have known that their words were insulting to me; plus,…

The nurse had taken all of my vitals, and the doctors had come in for a chat. My checkup was almost over: yay! But the part I hate most — the blood draw — was next. I hoped the nurse was in a good mood, as I’m convinced it makes…

“We need to schedule you for a bone marrow biopsy.” My doctor was on the phone delivering his evaluation of recent blood work. Of all the tests and treatments, a bone marrow biopsy is among my least favorite. I had one before and know what’s coming up. It…

I haven’t felt well since early February. Many days I haven’t wanted to get out of bed. Even pushing the covers off or pulling them over me takes a gargantuan effort. Healthcare providers have told me I don’t look anemic, that I seem fine, but I knew my blood work…

I was heartbroken when I unpacked my luggage a couple weeks ago and found my beautiful coffeepot smashed into 22 pieces with accompanying shards and small chips. In my tiredness, a moment of good decision-making pressed through: I didn’t throw it away, as is my current habit. I knew I…

I dipped my foot in the water before plunging in. Oh! It was cooler than I’d wanted. I jumped in anyway, hoping I’d warm up as I swam. I’m a good swimmer, and I’ve always loved to do it. Although I’ve never been particularly speedy, I can swim for hours.