On this New Year’s Eve morning I spent some time reading the blog entry I wrote exactly one year ago today, “Mindfulness in 2015: A Silver Bullet Resolution.” I liked what I read. That’s a nice blog post, I said to myself. I was proud of it, proud of the writing and of the sentimentContinue reading “Mindfulness in 2016: A Silver Bullet Resolution?”
Author Archives: michaeljarmer
T@B Diaries #1: Champoeg St. Park
in which Michael Jarmer begins a new blog series; in which Michael Jarmer provides a brief history of his life as a camper; in which his somewhat checkered RV history is revealed; in which an experience camping solo at Champoeg State Park is described; in which funny and archaic subtitles are used to arouse readerContinue reading “T@B Diaries #1: Champoeg St. Park”
Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume IX, Letter E
Here we are with volume IX of a series of blogs about my attempt to listen to at least one compact disc from every artist in my music collection in alphabetical order. That is a mouthful. A mouthful for an earful. I’ve been at it almost a year and I have worked my way throughContinue reading “Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume IX, Letter E”
Against a Wall: A Teacher’s Manifesto
It has been coming on for a year or two, maybe longer, but I feel it now in my 28th year of teaching more keenly than ever: I have come up against a wall. This is the condition in which I find myself professionally. It may be that things have always been this way andContinue reading “Against a Wall: A Teacher’s Manifesto”
#188: On A Birthday Weekend Alone
“Why should I feel lonely? is not our planet in the Milky Way?”—Henry David Thoreau My brother asked me through a facebook comment, are you spending the weekend alone? And I wasn’t sure what the question meant, whether or not it contained a sub-text of surprise or dis-belief: really, on your birthday, you wantContinue reading “#188: On A Birthday Weekend Alone”
#187: On the Difficulty of Getting Here
Friday afternoon, trying to prepare for a cabin retreat, a birthday weekend of solitude and reflection and writing, I stepped in a pile of leaf camouflaged dog shit in the driveway. I didn’t realize I had done this until I proceeded to go into the house with shit all over my shoe. I removed theContinue reading “#187: On the Difficulty of Getting Here”
#186: On Writing Retreat
On Writing Retreat, December 5, 2015, L. L. Stub Stewart State Park, Buxton, Oregon It’s raining so hard here, it would be unthinkable to go outside for a walk. So I am stuck in this cabin without internet access and there’s only a few things to do: listen to music, meditate, read, eat, or, theContinue reading “#186: On Writing Retreat”
Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume VIII, Bowie Binge Thanksgiving
As many of you know if you’ve been hanging around the jolly old blog site of yours truly, I’ve been listening to a lot of music. I’ve been attempting to rescue my languishing compact disc collection by listening to a single cd from every artist or band represented on the shelves in alphabetical order and thenContinue reading “Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume VIII, Bowie Binge Thanksgiving”
#63: Pilgrims at the Table
Originally posted on michael jarmer:
The fiction Pilgrims at the Table I understand that on the first Thanksgiving there was no meal between Pilgrims and Indians, there was no peaceful gathering around a turkey or anything in particular having to do with corn, but rather, John Winthrop’s declaration of a “day of thanksgiving” when he…
#185: The American English Teacher Crosses Off All The Items From His To-Do List
He does it. He crosses off all the items from his to-do list. Many of the things he crosses off were things he actually did, others, not so much. But he wants them off the list so he crosses them out. Some of those unfinished-crossed-off items will end up on other to-do lists. Some othersContinue reading “#185: The American English Teacher Crosses Off All The Items From His To-Do List”
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