To say my writing, my attempts to write, my thinking, my attempts to think have been muddled these last few weeks would be an understatement. Clarity of thought and of purpose is elusive. I feel as though I’m sending smoke signals through the fog. Lying in bed, groggy and ignoring the cat, one of my…
Category: Life
Protesting in Memphis (Part 2)
Memphis has had a march or protest of some sort every night since May 27. I’ve participated in 5 of the marches. I suspect I’ll attend more – though one of the stated goals was to ensure all 4 officers involved with the killing of George Floyd were arrested/charged, which has happened. There seems to…
Protesting in Memphis (Part 1)
For the past eight nights, residents here in Memphis, TN have taken to the streets to protest the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin as three fellow officers looked on. The protests are part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. For five of those nights, I donned my cloth…
Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself
Despite what my 5th grade yearbook says: “In 15 years I will be… ‘A pitcher for the California Angels,’” for much of my childhood I wanted to be a doctor and a writer. My father worked for the government but always defined himself as a scholar (Russian military history). He had his own room in…
THURSDAY THINKING
If you’ve been following along, I’ve been writing about how these last few days and/or weeks (hard to tell time in the age of COVID) have been a challenge in terms of focus and writing. Yesterday and this morning, that trend continues, and I’m still in a list making mode of sorts. Site Revamp I’ve…
THE SMELL OF BURNT TOAST
For a few days now, maybe even the past week or two, I’ve felt a kind of malaise and/or lethargy… perhaps more of spirit than of action. For me it’s been most noticeable in my writing, or lack thereof. It’s been difficult to write every day. Something in the feedback loop feels off. I haven’t…
MEMORIAL DAY 2020
Today is Memorial Day. I’m not sure I ever gave the holiday much thought. I’m not sure I give or gave it its “proper” due. Being a bit of a peacenik, I tend to shy away from those things that celebrate or honor our military. I haven’t read enough philosophy to have a strongly reasoned…
A FEW DAYS IN PICTURES
I haven’t been writing as much. I don’t know how I feel about that or if I can pinpoint why. This morning I went for a walk, and my mind was pretty busy – on a few different things. I tried some walking meditation, but it wasn’t working. And decided to get out of my…
WALKING IN SHADOWS
I haven’t written or attempted a new poem in a while – probably going on close to two weeks. Perhaps not coincidentally, I’ve also been spending more time looking for jobs and learning and thinking about how I might be able to eek out a living as a freelancer or a consultant or both. I…
ON LOSS AND BALANCE
Yesterday was the 5-year anniversary of the passing of my ex-fiancee’s mother. I never met the woman, but in getting to know what I can claim to have known about my ex, and in spending a little time with her family, her mother was a larger-than-life figure and her impact on her family was visible…
WALKING MEDITATIONS (PICTURES)
Sunsets (and sunrises) never get old. Storm clouds bring their own sense of beauty and contrast.
WALKING MEDITATIONS
I wasn’t going to write today. Or exercise. Yet, here I am typing away and early this morning I went on a 2+ hour walk. If the weather is even remotely nice, I have a compulsion to get out. This is why the weather forecasts have been so vexing. I hate sitting in waiting for…