Another Consequence of Increased Polarization I've spent most of my life toeing the line. My political views are not my sole identity and I try not to take extreme positions. But in 2022, that seems like a losing proposition. There is no room for people like me, a moderate, holding…

An incident during the ceremony marred its memory for me ‘Get your kids out of here, they are ruining the ceremony for everyone,’ the man said menacingly. Shocked and furious, I picked up my son, grabbed my daughter’s hand, and left the room. We left my wife Sasmita’s US Citizenship…

Entering a Women’s Safe Space to Remove my Unibrow — About every three weeks, I visit a store that causes severe social anxiety. I endure about a half-hour of awkwardness and cannot wait to leave. I pay 15 dollars for the experience. I’m talking about getting my eyebrows threaded. I began threading my eyebrows 11 years ago. They look pretty…

Reflections after One Week in the Kingdom — It’s harder to enter Washington D.C.’s Smithsonian Museums than to get into Saudi Arabia. I’ve read about surveillance and security in Saudi Arabia for years and expected a severe grilling from the Customs and Border agents at the Jeddah airport. I could not have been more wrong. Though not warm…

Fulfilling a Dream 33 Years in the Making — I recently spent $900 dollars on a LEGO set. I am a life-long Titanic buff. My fascination with Titanic began at nine years old and has only grown since. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to build a LEGO Titanic. …

What is the point of your BLM Sign? — As a person of color, do you think that I believe you’re a better person than someone without a sign? I guarantee you, I will not. How does a sign show you care about black lives? It’s performative nonsense. I’m sure it gives the homeowner or renter pleasure to feel…

Oh, you meant Cilantro! — My wife Sasmita is an Indian immigrant. She came to the US on a K-1 fiancee visa on July 14, 2012. We married a few weeks later. Though we’re both brown-skinned Indians, our backgrounds could not be more different. In our marriage infancy, Sasmita stayed in our apartment in Washington…

The Halloween season is the worst part of the year. — I use baby shampoo because I never close my eyes in the shower. I am terrified of a spider falling on me or crawling out of the drain. I approach bananas in the grocery store with anxiety and trepidation, because one time I read a story about arachnids in banana…

He saved me from imminent death. — There’s a marked difference between being a strong and efficient swimmer, and being able to swim. That contrast almost killed me. Years ago, I was sailing with my best friend Jay on his parent's boat, near Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. …