In the Wrong Place
Innocent. In the wrong place at the wrong time. Oblivious to his situation, he made it worse by not running away. He remained motionless—hanging precariously from the roof.
I believe we are all creative. I want to inspire you to make time for creativity. There is no better time to start than now and it is never too late. Let’s take the journey together!
A Reading Program by Ray Bradbury
Reading is a challenge for me. I like the idea of reading and enjoy it when I actually do read. However, I have trouble making time and settling down long enough to read. While watching a YouTube video about writing, I came across a reading program by Ray Bradbury: read one poem, one short story, and one essay every night. It sounded easy enough—I could just read short examples of these. I did not realize when I started that Bradbury said to do it for 1,000 days!
The Heart
A few weeks ago, I had an echocardiogram—which is an imaging test that uses ultrasound waves to create detailed images of the heart. I have had several in the past, but this time was different—I was facing the machine that displays the images of my heart.
On a Perilous Path
Depending on which news channels we watch or which newsfeeds show up on our Facebook pages we receive only part of any news story—specifically, what a certain group (or the algorithm) wants us to know or believe. Because of this, some people live in an alternate reality from what is true and should be right in front of our faces. We can’t make sound decisions if we rely on only one source of information or believe everything someone—or anyone—says. Our society is on a perilous path.
Hodgepodge
Hodgepodge refers to a mixed, jumbled assortment of disparate things. I had a friend with whom I used to chat via email. Often I would put the subject title as hodgepodge. It was a warning that I had nothing particular to say, but rather had lots of varied thoughts and ideas to share. Inspired by a recent blog post of Wil Wheaton, I thought I would try that here.
Autumn
Autumn rolls around every year—yet I never feel ready. It starts out fine enough: cooler, crisper weather is a relief from the humidity and oppressive heat here in the South. The leaves on the trees float through the air and down to the ground in graceful, gliding movements.
Storytelling
Have you ever been mesmerized by someone telling a story? I used to work at WUAL, an NPR station in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. For one of our segments, our producer would record Kathryn Tucker Windham telling stories. I loved hearing about her childhood in Thomasville, Alabama. I had read her book, “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey,” but these stories she told Sam were different—simple stories about her life growing up. Of course, she told them wonderfully, with her Southern drawl and heavily inflected voice.
Why I Do Anything
Being creative is not easy. We are often too critical of ourselves and our creative output. Our work never meets our own expectations. It is tempting to compare ourselves to others. Sometimes I wonder why I do anything . . . or why I think I can do anything worthwhile.
Mundane
Sometimes I get stuck in a rut of complacency or even discontent—living with blinders on my eyes or a pall over my emotions. When this happens, life feels ordinary and mundane. Nothing seems important.
Never Tire of Hearing
Stephen Colbert, on The Late Show, has a segment called the Colbert Questionnaire. One of the questions is, “If you only had one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?” I find that an intriguing thought. What song would I never tire of hearing? Could I limit it to one?
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