Friday morning… For the first time in nearly two years (two Christmases ago), I’m heading back to the Philadelphia area. I haven’t seen many of those people, family and friends, in that time. I’m looking forward to it, but I hate the “scheduling” of things to do and deciding on who I’d like to see…
Category: Life
Low-grade Withdrawal
On Sunday afternoon (10/17/21), a little after 4pm as the sun tried to break through the clouds, I consciously uncoupled from social media. I didn’t go so far as to delete my accounts (I didn’t even deactivate them), but I did remove them from my phone’s home screen…. which is a little like putting them…
Trial Separation?
I’m laughing because minutes after sitting down and thinking I should write about what feels like an impending divorce from social media, I found myself scrolling and liking (or disliking) posts on Facebook… is that her new boyfriend? That’s a cool picture. He must have just started dating her. Uggh, another picture of his kid…
A Ramble Through Duality
After the big boy breakfast and the dog walk in the blustery gray that feels more like November than October, I sat on the sofa with a cup of coffee and began to read. I only read a poem or two and paused thinking this is nice… wouldn’t it be better with company? For me,…
Sometimes It’s the Dog
An hour in to my morning, I’m starting to feel guilty for not having fed the dog. It’s still early (6 am as I start this), and in my mind I tell myself “he can wait.” I hate having that power over him – what I really mean to say is that as soon as…
Constant Acts of Self-Interpretation
Yesterday, my chest heavy and my head dull from the beer the night before, I moved slowly through the morning. My voice was scratchy and deep from loud-talking over the music. I met two strangers, TJ and Rachel, who are both regulars at the bar. We talked about thingsā¦ the local music scene, the cops…
In the Presence of Company
There’s a bird outside chirping her little head off “chew-eee chew-eee chew-eee chew-eee.” Three, four, five times in a row. My dad sits at the dining room table with his glasses off squinting at his phone. His spoon clanks against the sides and bottom of the cereal bowl – Cheerios and fruit. I’m on the…
3 AM
The dog shakes his head and in that moment, the sound of his ears flapping combined with the slight jangle of his collar seems like the most distinct sound in the world. It’s 3:24 in the morning when he does this. Now, half-an-hour later, I’m still up. I don’t want to be up. I rolled…
A Break from the Routine
Monday, 2:14 AM. That’s when my phone buzzed with an email from MyAnalytics – a type of productivity software that seems to be tied in with my Microsoft Office account. The tagline under the logo reads “Discover your habits. Work smarter.” I can’t imagine that waking me up in the middle of the night (I…
In the Cool Light of Morning
I can see my breath in the morning chill. The temperatures are in the upper 40s and I’m thinking about how I’m not ready for the cold. I’ve already noticed how much less time in the light I have for things like dog walks, trips to the park, and runs. Oddly, when I think about…
Small Thoughts, Shorter Days
9-20-21The few wisps of clouds in the early morning sky are painted cotton candy pink. The full light of day hasn’t quite reached the ground yet. I’m putting off walking the dog or getting ready – though I’ve already built my to-do list a few times in my head. I sit at the dining room…