For You or Not For You

September 5th, 2022 When I saw the State Fair water tower on the horizon this year, the nostalgia hit me harder than normal. Instead of a general flavor, nostalgia tends to get colored by people whose loss feels recent, like yesterday, even though they’ve been gone, say, nearly two years. It got me thinking aboutContinue reading “For You or Not For You”

Heard

August 26th, 2022 Yesterday afternoon, I encountered a family of three who seemed overwhelmed. I asked how they were and they told me, understandably, that they had been better. I looked at the documents and photos spread across the table. They had to plan a funeral over lunch. I told them I understood. There continuedContinue reading “Heard”

I Am Not An Illusion

August 24th, 2022 Mystery is an amateur magic show. I get frequently asked why I tell people stuff on the internet. Like, the stuff you shouldn’t really tell people, the stuff people don’t talk about like I think they should, the stuff that is heavy or hard. I do it because I feel like weContinue reading “I Am Not An Illusion”

silly

August 15th, 2022 “As for its being silly, I don’t mind that. Sometimes it’s great fun to be silly, like children playing statues and dying of laughter. And sometimes being silly breaks the even pace and lets you get a new start.” – The Winter of Our Discontent Being silly is natural to me, butContinue reading “silly”

We Will Meet As Strangers

August 13th, 2022 You read the words again. You’re young and you fall in love with the story, the first and last time you will fall in love. The plot thrills, the characters sing, the words pierce and they cut and they dig and find a place in your soul, creating a permanent home there.Continue reading “We Will Meet As Strangers”

No Judgement

August 11th, 2022 “Most of the things we love are the things that embarrass us,” wrote Helena Fitzgerald. It is terribly true, and I would add: the things we love THE MOST are the things that embarrass us, and the things that embarrass us tell us the most about ourselves and each other. I likeContinue reading “No Judgement”

In Dreams: The Sandman, Flip, and Push

August 8th, 2022 I finished the first season of The Sandman on Netflix this afternoon. As a massive Sandman fan, for years, I personally think it is a better-than-perfect adaptation of the source material. I also want to add how well the series is cast; Tom Sturridge as Dream is the single best casting choiceContinue reading “In Dreams: The Sandman, Flip, and Push”

A Kind Word & A Friendly Face

August 8th, 2022 “All they need is a kind word and a friendly face.” Kindness is like a thumb on a knot. I had a really insecure week. Not that the week wasn’t sure of what it was, but I’m not. I’ve just felt out of place and out of sorts, not myself, wobbly onContinue reading “A Kind Word & A Friendly Face”

Everyone as Puzzles

August 5th, 2022 A life’s journey is puzzling. I’ve made that idea near-literal. When you’re in recovery and an open book, people love to ask you about the ugliest parts of your story. “So what was your rock bottom?” I have never been fully comfortable with that phrase, at least when it comes to howContinue reading “Everyone as Puzzles”