My alarm clock told me it was time to wake up. But it didn't stop there. It went on to remind me about yesterday. I hit snooze. My mirror told me I look rather haggard lately. Getting old and ugly and hadn't you better work on your personality? The mirror disagreed strongly with my alarm clock. …
Category: Personal Journey
Writer Mind
I'm in the valley every writer goes through. I keep showing up day after day intending to make something amazing. If I were an artist, I'd be making stick people. If I were making dinner, it would be haggis. If I were conjuring up an animal, it would be a platypus. Sure, I just got …
A Volcano Hike: Mt. Liamuiga
A rust-ravaged truck would take us to the base of Mt. Liamuiga. After the 45 minute drive through St. Kitts, our 2+ hour ascension hike would begin. Behind me lay the Adventure of the Seas with its hushed hot tub waters and attendant waiters, plush deck chairs, everlasting soft-serve ice cream cones... What had I done? Across …
Frankenstein’s Teenager
Mary Shelley's classic, Frankenstein, is really an allegory. It's the parenting memoir she couldn't write. Parents of pubescents... follow me. Victor builds what he hopes will be a beautiful, incredible masterpiece. He works tirelessly on his legacy. So intent on accomplishing his ends, Frankenstein doesn't ask, "Should I?" Sounds like many parents I know who …
The Only Resolution You Need: Be Resolute
Resolute: 1. marked by firm determination 2. bold, steady. In a fit of New Year's zeal you wrote a bunch of resolutions. And in a fit of cold reality already broke at least one. Now you're starting 2017 as a failure. Why even bother with the rest? New Year's resolutions are like trains. One car …
Friends & Family: My Favorite Gifts
For years I've sent a Christmas letter, but not this time. Find your name below for my "card" to you. This list cannot possibly contain every one of the people I consider gifts, but as I contemplated whether or not to send the usual card this year, it felt more right to talk about …
Be the Gift You Want to Get in This World
Of all the people turned off by Christians, Gandhi is my favorite. Gandhi was perplexed that Jesus' followers were little crazed antitheses of Him, buzzing about the world scattering judgement like pollen, condemning, wearing the cross and forgetting its dictates. Though he was turned off by Christians, Gandhi didn't discount the Man himself. Imitation is …
Thankfulness: Just Do It
Thankful: conscious of a benefit received. I don't love their shoes, but I'd nominate Nike slogan creator Dan Wieden for the Nobel Peace Prize. Just do it--applied en masse could cure obesity, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and empty toilet paper rolls. The downside would be impulse marriages, divorces, suicides, and job walk-offs-- impulse suicides notwithstanding, the …
Don’t Forget – What It’s Like Writing my First Novel
I've been toying with the idea of changing my novel around. This morning I decided to change the point of view from 3rd to 1st-- just to experiment. I've read many 1st person novels and loved them. Right now I'm reading We Were Liars by e. lockhart. If you want to hear a distinctive voice, …
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Raising the Flag of My Dream
I have a dream. No, it's not as noble as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream. But it's mine and if I'm not here (either on social media or in the flesh), it's because I have to run away and join the circus for a bit in order to accomplish it. Time in craft, you understand. …
KL Griffiths 