By SEAN DIETRICH The old man answered the phone. “Is this Herschel?” I asked him. I heard a loud TV playing in the background. A dog was barking. “This is Herschel. Who’s this?” I recited my name, rank, and credentials, each of which are so unimpressive they qualify...

By SEAN DIETRICH I thought I saw you today. I was walking through a crowded place. A Trader Joe’s, if you can imagine. You bumped into my shoulder. Then you walked past me. It was you. I was momentarily stunned. I thought to myself, “Hey, that looked like my…” But no....

My phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, so I answered. I expected to be greeted with an automated voice, delivering exciting information about my auto warranty. Instead, it was a young man. I’ll call him Fred, although that’s not his name. I’d forgotten I was...

By SEAN DIETRICH With all the important problems going on in the world — the war in Ukraine, political upheavals and Oscar Award winners assaulting each other on live television — I’d like to tell you a few things that happened last week that you might not have heard...