The experiences we hear and read about from a hundred years ago are stories told from biased perspectives. No matter how “true” they are, the facts filter through the lens of at least one person and probably dozens or even hundreds. We no more … Continue reading
Shadows dance across the leaves and branches of the trees outside the window of the room where I spend time in the late afternoon. Wind rustling through the branches causes dark shadows to move back and forth over the lime-green new-growth leaves, … Continue reading
The walls are dull, the white paint over the cinder block walls faded and chipped. Near one of the metal doors leading outside, dirt or mold stains the mortar lines in stair-step fashion down from the ceiling, suggesting there is, … Continue reading
We acknowledge just four seasons. Look around you, every day for a year, and you will see clear evidence there are many more. Day before yesterday, for example, I enjoyed a day that could not possibly be classified as Spring (or Summer … Continue reading
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Today began dull and blank, but it grew better over time, the way days sometimes do. I was able to do more in my pottery class than I expected. Inasmuch as today was the next-to-last class of the semester, and … Continue reading
Once again, I find myself lacking for anything of merit or interest that belongs here. If something else pops into my head today, I’ll replace this with the “something else.” Otherwise, I will let this stay here for a day … Continue reading
I can saw through steel with the right hacksaw, but I can’t saw through ignorance, not even with a laser saber. Ignorance, especially willful ignorance, is the sort of thing that burns red hot holes in my brain, causing empathy … Continue reading
I know the streets of large cities are filled with disaffected youths. I understand that their arrogance is hard to accept and harder still to deal with. I realize there’s a massive gulf between my experiences and the lives of … Continue reading
His eyes reflect his posturing, that ugly affect meant to intimidate those who would oppose him. Looking deeply into those eyes, though, one sees the abject terror within, the fright that bubbles up from the core. His only weapon—the hatred that rips even … Continue reading
Don’t let anyone else think for you. It’s the surest way to intellectual poverty.
I can be indecisive. Really, really indecisive. Today, our writers’ club will devote its meeting to practice readings, in preparation for our annual event, L’Audible Art, in which members read their poetry, short stories, etc. Each of us who opts … Continue reading
Yesterday morning, I watched some of the oldest known video taken of London, England. Seeing video images of people in London as early as 1890, and more video in the first years of the twentieth century, was stunning. Eleven minutes … Continue reading
A massive arc of water erupted from beneath the tires of an oncoming pickup, illuminated by its high beams like a huge white fan of blinding light. Garland Gerber hated driving at night, especially on wet roads. Roads on which … Continue reading
The smell of a burning hardwood log and the dancing flames that produce that smell are intoxicating. They can put me in a trance and take me far away from the things that I might burn in lieu of the log … Continue reading
Today, I’ll drive into Little Rock to listen to authors speak about their books, their poems, and their lives on this lonely planet. I’m not in the mood for a solo trip into Little Rock, but duty calls; I am responsible … Continue reading
I remember times when I’d lay awake for hours, trying to get to sleep, knowing sleep would come eventually but wanting desperately for it to come instantly. Those are not old memories, either.
I recently read an article I wrote more than seven years ago, warning of the dangers of complacency. The article dealt with complacency of businesses and the effects thereof, but the arguments apply as well to individuals and organizations. I wrote … Continue reading
A bogus story about six-word short stories captured my attention a couple of weeks ago. The story claimed Hemingway won a bet against fellow writers about whether he could write a six-word short story. He won, the story goes, with the … Continue reading
A couple of days ago, after getting home mid-morning from my pottery class, I sat watching the eighty-five-year-old man next door blow leaves and pollen off his driveway. Even before he came in view with his leaf blower, I saw bursts of yellow … Continue reading
I once read a description of the color of a woman’s skin that has stayed with me for years. Unfortunately, I don’t know where I read it, nor who wrote it, but it stuck with me. The description said a … Continue reading
Drama sizzles as it hits the pan and disappears like steam.
I thought I’d gotten over it. But every time I look at the LinkedIn profile of someone who’s still involved with a business or a career, I get pangs of…I don’t know what. On the one hand, I want to … Continue reading
Seven women fretted on the dock, waiting for the survivors to disembark the crippled ship. One of them collapsed, weeping inconsolably as the fifth of the five survivors to limp off the gangway kissed his wife. The last woman stood shivering, sensing the decay … Continue reading
Play as long as you can, then remember the times you played, then wish for more time to play. Eventually, your wish will be granted. Maybe not, but it doesn’t hurt to hope for the best.
I just stumbled across a post I wrote on January 23, 2011 on another blog that I abandoned some time ago. Reading it made me catch my breath at what I felt when I wrote it and what I still fee. … Continue reading
