Grandmother of the Hadza of Tanzania. Humanity's Ace in the Hole Ever since I can remember, grandmothers were cast as dawdling old ladies who bake cookies, serve homemade soup – and that’s about it. And as lovely as that is, there is another story that reaches further back in time. Old women are often portrayed as feeble and harmless, or perhaps as mean and haggard, but not much in between. In the book of patriarchy, grandma has lost not only her youth, but her usefulness. It's no...

When I was little I ran away from home. A lot. Not just to the backyard or the neighbor's front porch, but I ran...

Dogs know. You can rest here. The Weight of the World My jaw has carried the weight of the world since I can remember. She has kept planes in the air, found parking spots, and pushed her way through heavy traffic. She has pulled donkey carts up a hill, kept people sober, and written late-night term papers. She has a lifetime of pressing through the world, holding it all together, and keeping all the boats from rocking... Such a hard worker. And in her mind, she’s always alone. But even jaws...