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”
Tag Archives: Growth
Stupid Questions
September 2nd, 2022 “So I was looking at the long term / Three quarters and I quit school / Now I break hearts as a learning tool.” – The Next Step, “Honesty & Happiness” As that lyric accurately describes, I did not go to college for long. Even calling it “college” doesn’t feel right. ButContinue reading “Stupid Questions”
2
September 1st, 2022 Today is my two-year anniversary at Harry’s. (This is not a photo of us celebrating my anniversary. This is from a wedding a few weekends ago where I was the minister-bartender. Barnister? Minitender.) In 2020, a lot of people lost a lot. I lost more than I ever had in any otherContinue reading “2”
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”
Great Big Tool
August 22nd, 2022 Like a spare key put someplace forgotten, artists can spend their entire lives looking for what it is that makes good art. They go to school for art, attending art classes. They read about making art, and then talk about their art readings. They are taught how art makes people feel, andContinue reading “Great Big Tool”
Not Too Little, Never Too Late
August 19th, 2022 When people get comfortable around me and my sobriety, they start to ask more complicated questions about it. The one they inevitably get to is: “Do you miss anything about drinking?” I do. Of course I do. Too much for a single post. But I want to talk about something that mightContinue reading “Not Too Little, Never Too Late”
Accessible Excellence
August 18th, 2022 The most common thing said about my books comes across as backhanded, but I’ve come to realize it aligns with what I want to do as a writer so completely. The song goes: “I am not a big reader, but I really liked your book.” Usually followed by the encore of: “IContinue reading “Accessible Excellence”
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”
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”
The Den 