One year ago today, my sister died. My mother, my two nephews and their father were gathered in the conference room down the hall from her room in the hospital when we got the news -- even though her heart was beating and she was breathing (with help), her brain hadn't registered any activity for … Continue reading (Personal) My Sister, One Year Later
Category: Self-Reflection
(Personal) Hello, April
Floating in a sensory deprivation tank for an hour was long enough for me to realize that a great deal of my problem is overstimulation. It's tough for someone sensitive to sensory input to live in a world like this, geared towards making sure something is grabbing your attention all the time. We live at … Continue reading (Personal) Hello, April
(Personal) Goodbye, March
The crisis point hit right in the middle of the month. We were coming out of a big Services meeting when my manager scheduled a one-on-one meeting right afterward. I had assumed it would be the follow-up on our annual reviews and talk about merit increases; in a way, I was right. The management structure … Continue reading (Personal) Goodbye, March
(Personal) Goodbye, February
The last time I spoke to my mother on the phone, she sounded lonely. But in typical Mom fashion, mostly she complained about the people with her at the in-patient rehab center. The white woman who had roomed with her was a racist. The nurses checking in on her were stealing her clothes. She just … Continue reading (Personal) Goodbye, February
(Buddhism) We’re All Mad Here
I've been thinking a lot about anger over the past month and a half. Ever since Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, MO way back in 2014 I've been increasingly political with my online presence -- and the candidacy and ultimate inauguration of Donald Trump has pushed that side of my … Continue reading (Buddhism) We’re All Mad Here
(Buddhism) Smile, Breathe and Go Slowly
We're living in a time where fear is a completely natural and understandable response. It feels like the world is perilously close to the edge of ruin -- nuclear tensions between the world superpowers are higher than they've been since the Cold War; our governments are doing very little to deal with the environmental problems … Continue reading (Buddhism) Smile, Breathe and Go Slowly
(Personal) Accounting for January
At the beginning of the year I mentioned how I'd like to hit a few specific goals with my writing: 100 posts here at The Writing Desk, 50 episodes posted to The Jackalope Serial Company Patreon, and 10 stories submitted to various publications throughout the year. In an effort to hold myself to that goal, … Continue reading (Personal) Accounting for January
(Personal) Perpetual Tharn
We're three weeks in to 2018 -- just long enough to settle into the new year and whatever new habits or goals we've set for ourselves. I wanted to push myself towards more mindful behavior this year, doing my best to really dive into right speech, action, and livelihood. While last year was definitely stressful, … Continue reading (Personal) Perpetual Tharn
(Politics) What I Want From White People
When I write about contentious subjects here at The Writing Desk, I try to make sure that I use a tone that comes across as collaborative and inclusive. I know what a minefield sociopolitical topics are -- especially on the Internet -- and you can find someone shouting another person down anywhere you can find … Continue reading (Politics) What I Want From White People
(Personal) My 2018
So now that the dumpster fire that is 2017 has been officially extinguished, it's time to look ahead towards the bright, shiny new year and plan how to make it better. I'm not going to lie; I'm one of those people who love to think about New Year's Resolutions -- but I'm sure you know … Continue reading (Personal) My 2018
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 