Ordinary Time – Season of Stability Each day I wake up to see the same faces, imperceptibly changing, getting older, especially the one I see in the mirror. Photographs of me when I was younger remind me that the me I now see didn’t always look this way. They remind me of times when my […]
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Ordinary Time – Season of Stability Sometimes I feel stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Damned if I do, and damned if I don’t, there are no good solutions. Sometimes I ‘m able to find an alternative solution, a third way to get me out of the situation. Other times, I just […]
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To NaNo, or not to NaNo–that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous publishers, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And put an end to them by not writing. . . ‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. (adapted from Hamlet’s monologue) […]
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Ordinary Time – Season of Stability The nail that sticks out gets pounded in, or so a Chinese proverb says. What a difference from our society where we are told to dare to be different. In more collective cultures you are encouraged to fit in, not stick out your neck. It’s not so bad, though, […]
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Ordinary Time – Season of Stability Familiarity breeds contempt–maybe so. But it also breeds contentment, a sense of stability and security. In a rapidly changing world, a world threatened with violence and terrorism, it’s nice to have some things, some people, some beliefs, that you can hold on to and count on. Friends, family members, […]
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Teresa of Avila, October 15 Teresa, saint, mystic, and doctor of the Catholic Church, this simple unlearned woman whom God taught to read, now is read by millions and considered learned, a doctor, by the church. An ordinary woman with ordinary failings. A passion for life and for friendships, she struggled through bouts of illness […]
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Ordinary Time – Season of Stability Kids routinely test their teachers, especially middle-school aged students with new teachers. They want to see how far they can go, what they can get away with. Often they ask questions not out of genuine interest but to see if they can stump the teacher or undermine their authority. […]
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Ordinary Time – Season of Stability What is ordinary anyway? Ordinary, run-of-the-mill, normal, status quo? Who determines what is status quo? He gets up every day. She goes to a job where she is surrounded by people and all of the small milestones and major and minor crisis that are part of their lives. He […]
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Ordinary Time – Season of Stability I’ve always preferred leaving parties while they are still going strong rather than waiting until the last minute. That way I can leave with pleasant memories intact, wanting more rather than having had my fill. But there is something to be said about waiting until the last moment. When […]
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Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7 Anxiety, creeping up on me, sneaking up till it grabs me by the throat, like a lion on the prey, swooping in to attack. Little fears and worries grow bigger in an instant. I find myself beset by worries and I don’t know what to do. So I […]
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