I’m writing the first lines of this article thirty minutes past when it should have gone live. It likely won’t be finished until hours later. I’ve Continue Reading
Working for Free in the Shutdown Season
Well, as of this morning, I am working for the government pro bono. I’m too “essential” to be furloughed but not valuable enough to be paid during a Continue Reading
The Fire That Stills My Mind
There’s a certain therapeutic magic in watching flames dance across lumber in my fire pit. I’ve made a habit of creating woodpiles on my property over Continue Reading
The Book Ferret Lesson
When I was fifteen years old, I was determined to work as hard as I could and save up my money so I could buy my first car before turning sixteen. My Continue Reading
When the Frogs Came Back, So Did I
If you’ve been following my creative ventures for more than a few weeks, you’ll see that I’m a fanatic about frogs. It seems that lately nothing Continue Reading
When the Sand Comes Alive
We waited with palpable anticipation, shoulder to shoulder with over a hundred strangers, in complete darkness. The humid coastal air was charged with Continue Reading
You Sent Us to War Now Listen
My war has been over for nearly two decades. I took off the uniform, balled it up, and shoved it deep inside a musty green Army duffel bag. It now Continue Reading
The Stoplight and the Surge
Living with anxiety and depression has often felt like riding on top of a tidal wave. At times, it’s exciting and electric; other moments feel like Continue Reading
Divided by Design
Hey friends, how’ve you been lately? A lot is going on in the world right now. I vacillate between being informed and being overwhelmed. I wish I Continue Reading
Twenty Years Later Under Iraqi Moon Dust
Nearly twenty years ago to the day, I boarded a commercial airplane with a machine gun slung on my back, along with 150 of my closest friends. Tray Continue Reading
The Years Between
Forgive my redundancy; I’m still hung up on the anniversary date of my deployment to Kuwait and Iraq in 2005. We had our twenty-year reunion last Continue Reading
Sell Me Softly
I hate self-promotion. I abhor the soul-crushing humility that asking for help requires of me. Yet, for the last several weeks, I found myself asking Continue Reading