We’re in a vinyl-lined booth at a Boston deli for lunch with my grandma. It’s a doppelgänger of three years prior; a wrinkle in time.
We’re at the same deli, sitting in the same booth, studying the same menu with the same familiar hands and gestures, wearing the same clothes, eating the same food: reubens on marbled rye and potato pancakes. Photos confirm it all.
My sister-in-law’s friend introduces herself by twerking on a table and speaking “Aussie” in an accent that could rival Meryl Streep – if Meryl were doing a Cockney accent. We immediately adore her.
Earlier in the day we accidentally pay $24 for muesli at an organic supermarket. We decide this is not a response to global inflation but rather rampant hipsterism and we are complicit.
We pause our hunt for fried artichokes and Mexican food and have muesli and salad for dinner.
Hyphenate:
It’s a verb that can describe an act of punctuation, joining or connecting two words with a neat little symbol.
But I think it’s about more than just that simple act of grammar.
Writing is about connecting. Connecting with diverse audiences, learning about them and sharing stories.
I’ve been writing for much of my life – on topics from sports to travel to food to agriculture and more.
At the core of my writing is my love for words, wit, warmth and, ultimately, these connections.
But I’ve never brought it all into one place where it can be shared.
If nothing else it’s a chance to reconnect with my own enjoyment of writing. And if it brings about a laugh, insight, inspiration or even some debate, then that’s a very pleasant bonus. Stay tuned.
Jesse Gerner
hyphenate: 