Channel Esther: When We’re Passing Through

by Esther Cohen WHEN WE’RE PASSING THROUGH one of those inconceivably beautiful states, let’s say Maine, absolutely oh my god villages maybe Brooklin, where EB White wrote Charlotte’s Web and he gave the town the best library that every existed a state with small sweet wild blueberries finally enough homemade ice cream every single day blueberry pie with homemade ice cream imagine that you are lucky enough to pass through because you vacation because you are lucky and privileged you have a job went to college you have a husband he works too you have more than enough of everything even more than that and you can’t help but wonder as you drive through Maine a very poor state a small container of absolutely perfect tomatoes in a farmers market costs seven dollars the word organic synonymous with holy nearly half the children in the state don’t have enough to eat you wonder as you drive through it is vacation you are in the light pink blur of vacation you are happy because of all the ice cream you always wonder how to connect the parts of life you wonder if there’s a way there has to be a way for everyone to eat for everyone to have wonderful tomatoes and blueberry pie and all that ice cream Esther Cohen’s books include God Is a Tree, Book Doctor, and Don’t Mind Me and Other Jewish Lies. She is the Jewish Currents arts and public events consultant.