Family and Friends Archives - Page 2 of 15

The Woman is Cracked

July 16, 2013 by Michael Carnell

“Andrea, you are nuts,” he said. “Your senses have fallen out of a crack in your skull.” “I am not! And my name is Andra, not Andrea. Why can’t you get that right?” “I am getting it right.” He looked up from working on the bicycle and wiped his hands on his stone gray t-shirt. … Read more

The Good Times – Exercise #22

July 15, 2013 by Michael Carnell

Fast on the heels of my ten favorite foods list from yesterday, today’s exercise is to illuminate you on the best thing that has happened this year. A lack of specifics is what we have here though. Is this supposed to be a calendar year? So, since January 1st? Or is this a full 12 months, so since July 15th of 2012. Maybe this actually means a school year, since it is kind of an educational exercise, but that is even harder since I am not a student and we would be in the middle of summer break anyway. So let’s say we just do this for the last twelve months, and that will enable me to make my new(ish) job fit the bill.

In December of 2012 I was hired on board as a systems programmer for the Medical University of South Carolina in the pediatrics department. The job is good, the benefits are nice, and the work is interesting, but that is really not what makes this the high point of the year. What makes this job the best thing to happen to me over the past year is that they sought me out for it. Correction, my now-boss sought me out for the job. It means a lot when someone specifically comes to you when you are not even looking for a job and asks you to come to work for them. It tells you that they really could use your skills and would like for you to join their team. For we geeks, so often the last ones picked for teams, that is huge. The fact that Lori, the brilliant and talented person who recruited me, has known me for many many years and would still want me on her team says even more.

Difficult Times – Exercise #20

July 13, 2013 by Michael Carnell

I am guessing some might call it a cheap way out to just point at the poem I wrote earlier today and declare that to be the answer to today’s exercise. Oh, by the way, that exercise is “a difficult time in your life”. Problem is that I think so many of us define ourselves by adversity that the difficult times in our lives are about all we see when we look back. We often over look the good times, and totally and completely ignore the periods of just calm complacency.

There have been lots of those over the course of my years -both good times and times of calm complacency. There have also been some absolutely fantastic times. Yup, overboard, over the top, joyous occasions. But, for some reason, the creator of this series of exercises would like to hear about a difficult time – not the time I met my boyhood idol, or vacationed in the UK, or danced down the streets of Savannah in the Marching Kazoo band. So those stories will wait for another day.

Difficult times in my life seem to be many, at least they are able to form a rather well attended convention in my head, so I need to relate one that won’t leave me crawling around on my mental knees, like the sudden death of my mother, or tell you too much about my inner frailties, such as buying a motorcycle when I turned forty; and then spending a decent amount of time in the hospital because of the stupid decision. And I will leave my children out of this since some of you seem averse to “kid stories”, and others just don’t care. And my kids hate it when I talk about them.

It's Coming Any Second

July 13, 2013 by Michael Carnell

My head turns, and I can take no more meds, starting to lose me. But turning again, I can’t take any more days, Where I continue to lose you. The center will not hold, an arc bending not cracking. Such a swing of stasis of balance and finess. By matching ignorance to apathy Held into … Read more

Pride Goeth Before Parenthood – Exercise #17

July 10, 2013 by Michael Carnell

Today’s exercise is about pride. I am going to switch it up a bit, use multiple definitions, and generally do what I feel like. So when the exercise says,”What is your proudest moment,” what I’m going to tell you about is me being proud of my kids. So we are talking about pride in a pride. I am doing this for two reasons.

First is that although I am happy about things I have done, I don’t take huge amounts of pride in my accomplishments. What I do usually involves a lot of people as a team, not just me working by myself. I have partners in business, in hobbies, and in life. So I can’t and won’t take credit for everything goes on. Very often it is other people fixing my mistakes or polishing my rough work that makes me look good.

Second, what I really am proud of is what my kids have done. And what they will do. They are still young and have a lot of time ahead of them, but if their history is any indication then their futures will be burning bright. If I leave nothing in the world other than the legacy of these two young adults, I can be content with that. I have a feeling that they will both leave their marks on people in great ways.