I’m reinvigorated in my Spanish-learning journey. Seeking everyday conversation, I initially browsed for MasterChef and reality shows, but after spending some time on a site out of Spain, several documentaries and comedies stood out. So far, I’ve watched A Quiet Man (Un Hombre Tranquilo), about the man who helped pioneer gay rights in the 1980sContinue reading “Chasing Conversation”
Category Archives: Writings
Waiting On A Grocery list
I have had ten thoughts about what to write. Part of me feels raw. Another feels silly. And another is just going through the motions. Each perspective presents a completely different tale. The silly part wanted to share a prank I’m pulling on a friend, along with the domino chain of events that led toContinue reading “Waiting On A Grocery list”
A Tickle and A Flickle
Slithering snakes and pesky bugs were the red flags thrown our way when we moved to the South. This morning, coffee in hand, I propped my hands behind my head, elbows pointed toward the sky like satellites. The breeze, the color of the sky, the sculpted landscape—every sensation paired with a well-rested body and theContinue reading “A Tickle and A Flickle”
Plant Dreaming
The sounds around me are loud. It’s night now, and the storms have brought out all the insects. Wondering how to communicate just how loud, I pulled up a decibel-reading website. At the peak of the chorus, it reached 90 decibels, which I’m told is equivalent to heavy traffic, a lawnmower, or a power tool.Continue reading “Plant Dreaming”
How Things Come Together
In the Bog of Eternal Stench, the characters in the Labyrinth are unable to cross the bubbling pit of foul-smelling liquid. At a crossroads, Sir Didymus, Ambrosius, Hoggle, and Sarah throw their hands in the air, slumping their bodies to the ground in despair. Ludo, with a growling song, bellows through the cavernous underworld, andContinue reading “How Things Come Together”
Campers in the Outfield
Kevin, the mascot at the Macon baseball game, could use a costume upgrade. His nose is a white skyscraper jutting out from the brown of a scab. His eyes are a little too cartoonish, the kind that suggest he’d happily steal your children in the middle of the night. And the streaks of white, supposedlyContinue reading “Campers in the Outfield”
The Truest Me
Self-care, self-care, self-care. In my profession’s sphere, the phrase is practically a religion. What do you do for self-care? What is your self-care routine? You’re not doing enough self-care! People range from barely understanding what it means to soapbox standers who judge and scold in its absence. Mine varies; from little to none. To notContinue reading “The Truest Me”
Clocking Out
Holy shamoley, work, work, work is all I did today. My brain is a pile of mush. So Dave’s got it covered, and put on a Rick Gervais stand-up show, and away we’ll go. I’d give you more if I had it to give. See you tomorrow. Love, Jaclynn
Welcome to Jurassic Park
I work with high-functioning people. In their jobs, homes, and communities, they excel. And still, they get depressed, triggered, and lose hours to mental illness. My role as a counselor is partly that of a caretaker of mental health. Slowly but surely, over time, I recruit my clients into becoming caretakers of their own minds,Continue reading “Welcome to Jurassic Park”
Tiny Harvest, Loud Mind
Today’s garden harvest fit in the palm of my hand: three plump burgundy raspberries and five cherry tomatoes ranging from orange to deep red. Eight items total. I’ve set them beside me, though one tomato has rolled closer to the edge of my laptop. It’s the reddest one, and it seems to be asking, EatContinue reading “Tiny Harvest, Loud Mind”