To Be a Shaker
If my life story were to be published as a paperback novel, it would unfold as an epic tale of drama, strife, and an endless struggle to survive. It would unfold as a riveting saga filled with triumphs, heartbreaks, and an uncanny ability to trip over my own feet at the most inopportune moments. Even […]
How I Became a Master of Recognizing Patterns
Growing up, I always had this unsettling knack for knowing things I shouldn’t. It wasn’t in the psychic sense, though; I couldn’t predict lottery numbers or horse race outcomes, I’m afraid. I just had a way of knowing when someone was about to feed me a load of crap. Some might call it intuition; I […]
From Print to Pixels: A Snarky Retrospective on the Decline of Sports Writing
Back in 2003, when I was a starry-eyed high school junior with delusions of grandeur about journalism, I wrote a research paper on sports writing. To my naive self, sports journalism was the ultimate gig: a way to capture the raw thrill of the game, the drama, and all those riveting details that keep fans […]
The Follies of Eating Nothing but Take Out
There comes a point in every adult’s life when you take a long, hard look at your dining habits and think, “How did I get here?” For some, it’s when they’re scraping the bottom of yet another greasy takeout container at 2 a.m., wondering if that lingering heartburn is their body’s polite way of saying, […]
Mistaking Round Numbers for Milestones
Perhaps I have always been a bit too obsessed with round numbers, those symmetrical, whole figures that seem to promise completion, contentment, and ever-elusive satisfaction. I know I’m far from alone in being struck by this notion. In the online world, round numbers are extremely sought after, especially when they count followers, subscribers, or page […]
Imperfection is Beauty, Madness is Genius
There’s something almost poetic about stumbling across a quote that smacks you in the face with its sheer truth. It’s especially true when it’s from a woman whose life was a masterclass in walking the tightrope between brilliance and batshit crazy. Marilyn Monroe once quipped, “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to […]
The Life and Times of a Reluctant Prophet
Many of us are raised to believe that prophets are charismatic figures who emerge from the shadows, their voices filled with the promise of deliverance and truth. They’re supposed to be the fearless leaders, the visionaries who guide us toward a brighter future. Yet, here I am, a lonely child turned reluctant oracle, whispering inconvenient […]