special

"Sadie is like a gold medalist in the Emotional X-treme Sports All-Star World Championships," I tell my friend Stefan the other day. "Watching her navigate moguls. . . Get it? Moguls? Like on mountains but you know, like business-types, too?. . . "

"I get it," he says rolling his eyes.

". . . my heart is totally in my throat. I mean, I worry about her. Still, I can't help but admire her nerve. Her savvy. She's really good at the game. And it's just that I'm like at the other end of the spectrum. Always tripping over my own feet. Tongue-tied. Just vaguely baffled by it all."

"So that makes you, what," Stefan says, "in the emotional Special Olympics?"

"Seriously. I'm just interested in competing."

Stefan stands up as he begins to applaud with slow deliberation, "Good effort, Jill," he says. "Good effort."