Yesterday, my former employer announced the hiring of a new CEO. They posted the announcement to Facebook and Twitter. Lots of people welcomed the new CEO and a handful of people thanked the outgoing CEO. One local organization posted the above comment on their own Facebook page. For me, this adds a little bit of…
Category: Life
Public Self, Private Self
Yesterday I started, and abandoned, two different blog posts. I couldn’t figure out where they were going or what I wanted to say. This happens when I try to tackle a multifaceted topic on which I see a whole lot of gray (and know very little about the actual subject). I was thinking about, and…
Change of Plans: A Conditioned Response?
I’ve been disappointed with myself lately. More so than usual. Given how often I feel I could do better (at this, that, and the next thing) I suspect I would have made a good Catholic. I have the confession part down, but I’m not great at the whole praying, penance, attending church, and general religious…
A Few Days on the Road
There are moments, perhaps not much more than an hour or so, when I sit and wonder why am I doing all of this. This being writing, or the job search, or living here in Memphis. In these moments, I’m tempted to pick up Thoreau’s Walden and find a quite outdoor space to read and…
State College, PA
I never gave much thought to psychology and emotions and relationships and baggage until I got divorced and started dating. I assumed we all had baggage and that some of us were carrying it better than others, but that everyone was either trying their best, or in a state of deep denial. Of course, I…
The Lonesome Road to Clarksdale
I’m a blues music fan. I’ve liked it ever since I was in college working in a bookstore where I heard Junior Kimbrough’s album Everywhere I Go. I’m not terribly well-versed in blues history and I certainly don’t know half of the musicians. I’ve read enough about it to know that it was heavily influenced…
Ground Control to Major Tom
Here am I floating ’round my tin can
Far above the moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do
Almost immediately after writing yesterday’s journal entry style blog post, I started to write another (this one).
Passing Storms
Last night I sat on my balcony with my laptop on my lap. I watched the sky darken – waiting for potential storms to roll through. West Memphis, the town just across the river, was under a tornado watch. I sat out there for at least 20 minutes. I wanted to write – mostly because…
Crossroads
“You’ve had more titles at your United Way than we have positions.” This was a comment made to me by a nonprofit board member during a recent job interview. I’m interviewing to be the CEO of a small nonprofit in a semi-rural community not too far from State College, PA. Job or no job, as…
King Me
This morning as I tried to read a few poems while sitting on the balcony having a second cup of coffee, my brain was having none of it. Hopscotch. No, it’s more like double dutch? No… it’s like a triple or even quadruple jump in checkers. Forward right, forward left, backward left. I’d read a…
A Strange Start to the Day
I assume what I’m feeling this morning is a combination of anxiety and boredom. The benefits of routine, or more precisely, the challenges one faces when routines are broken seem to be hitting me this morning. The weather isn’t great. Periods of strong wind and driving rain. I woke up at 3:30 and tossed and…