"That's not an ear," the doctor said, "it's a vagina." The doctor's words put an immediate halt to my interruptions. I had sensed as I was talking that something wasn't right, but that didn't shut me up. It took misidentifying an orifice to do that. It's amazing how clearly you remember certain things from your childhood. … Continue reading Wrong Orifice
Tag: writing
MyArtStory
I've been a little lacking in posting of late. Lots of drafts in the works, but much time has been absorbed by school. Not that I haven't been writing! In my last post I published my midterm submission from my Humanities class - a self-portrait collage and related description. My final project assignment for the … Continue reading MyArtStory
Look Closer
I love going on hikes around the City, to explore my urban surroundings. Besides the new sights and sites, and the plants and plantings, the major drive is to get up high and see out over everything. On many streets, if not most, we are sandwiched in between buildings in narrow corridors. The proverbial concrete … Continue reading Look Closer
Pop Out (Dad, Part One: A Fatherless Childhood)
Throughout my childhood there was a recurring theme of unbalance, of the idea that I needed a father figure. Ma tried to keep men in her life for my sake on many occasions, often actively seeking ways for me to have a male influence for me. In my teen years I suppose I had a … Continue reading Pop Out (Dad, Part One: A Fatherless Childhood)
Clearing the Fog
I love the silence of mornings. The darkness wraps around me. The perfect place is in the pitch dark, with a heater whose glowing elements and humming fan struggle to heat a too-large room. The hum nurtures me and the focus of heat makes me feel small and fetal. With the cold at my back … Continue reading Clearing the Fog
Good Grief
If all my life stories were of fond and amusing childhood memories I would have a much different view on life. I've had to deal with loss and grieving in many ways though, from pets to people. In May of 2004 it hit an extreme when I came home from work one day and discovered … Continue reading Good Grief
The Bare Necessities
In the summer of 1982 I had just finished fifth grade, and Ma moved us back to the Russian River to live on a nude beach for the school break. Not go to one, but live on one. Three years of living in Guerneville ended just as I started my fourth grade year. We had always … Continue reading The Bare Necessities
Friendly Delivery
Every young teenager anxiously awaits the age of 16. It's the age you can get a driver's license. It's the age that represents freedom. At the beginning of the school year I started getting pulled from Physical Education classes to attend Driver's Ed. I hadn't really expected that, or planned for it. It just happened. … Continue reading Friendly Delivery
Forging a New Life in California
1976 was the year we moved to Northern California. I was a wee kid, but have vivid memories of that year... I was born in 1970 in the lush and glorious international destination of Flint, Michigan, but my parents' divorce led Ma and me to Denver by the time I was a year old. At … Continue reading Forging a New Life in California
Beginning a Memoir
I've always been a writer at heart. I just didn't always know it or act upon it. When I was a kid and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, the answer I came up with was "A Storyteller". It was the only thing I could think of that … Continue reading Beginning a Memoir