Yael is my friend

It's been years since I had any pain pills. So, I'm thoroughly enjoying the ones I have now. When I take them, I get real friendly. My mind hovers about two feet over my head. And from within the void left over, there's no telling what I might think and say. I think I'll say something about my good friend Yael, who lives in Tel Aviv.

She is so damn cool. She is always studying. Deep literary stuff. Stuff that is way beyond me. She is way funny – she'll say something that makes me begin giggling, then chuckling, then laughing out loud. It's wry, subtle humor. The kind that creeps up on you, and when it hits, you are so happy about being amused.

Yael is also the owner/editor of ALMANAC, a literary journal. Poetry, the arts, other stuff. The kind of emphasis on things that makes the world worthwhile. She recently launched the third edition of her magazine, and it is a beautiful object. Such care and discernment went into its design and production. It is a work of art in itself.

Yael also loves classical music! I mean...really loves it. She plays piano. Real piano. She also likes Pink Floyd and Metallica. Yael is complex and wonderful. She also has a warm heart. She cares about other human beings and wishes that no one suffers. She's involved in promoting the arts and letters as a means of reaching out beyond borders. As a kind of cultural compassion.

Her husband Uri is about to complete his doctoral program – a PhD in literature. And next year, they will come to the US for a spring session at Harvard! How cool is that?!

Oh!...I almost forgot. Yael loves cats and animals. I distinguish between cats (who are gods) and other critters.

Dang...I'm still a bit high on Hydrocodone! I'll wrap this up by saying that I am fortunate to have a friend like Yael. Besides the simple fact of simple friendship, there is another fact: she comes from a world and a culture that has deep significance for me. I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to meet someone from that milieu of soulful resonance.