Winging It!
April 1, 2004
The Sinking Sub
I've had many jobs in my life, but none of them scared me quite the way my first day of substitute teaching did. Taming dirty dishes, selling books and gabbing on the phone just don't have the same impact as being stared down by a class of 25 ten-year-olds. Read more.
My Life with the Panic Button
There is a snapshot of me at age three or four, at what is presumably the petting zoo. In this picture, I am wearing some kind of little red-and-white sun dress, with matching white hair barrettes and red-and-white sneakers. (My mother must have coordinated this outfit, since three- and four-year-olds are not usually remarkable for their fashion sense.) My hair is in braids, and I am petting a goat. Read more.
Interview with Secret Agent Josephine
Brenda Ponnay, better known as Secret Agent Josephine amongst her flock of blog followers, spends her days doing what you and I dream of doing. She wanders along the beach, she plays with her cats, she watches Law and Order and she spends an amazing amount of time doing graphic designs, making lumpy cats and arranging wedding flowers. Read more.
Math Class (15 years too late.)
by Anne Carmack
If you were here with me, in this little back office, you would see me smiling. Read more.
The Magpie of Chance
by Lars Nordstrom
Pausing for a moment, teacup almost to my lips, I noticed a magpie darting into the road to gobble up some fortuitous tidbit of food. My heart skipped a beat as he dodged a dirty red Volvo still wearing the salt of countless winter roads. The driver never even slowed down, just charged along on his way, mindless of the near disaster for this beautiful bird (preoccupied maybe, with the stress of securing his own next meal). This magpie, though, was taking chances. I wondered just what it was that he was after... it looked to be a bit of a discarded croissant, soggy from the recent ice-melt. I suddenly remembered my tea and took a sip, glancing around at the other patrons in this odd little cafe, wondering if, perhaps, it was someone from this very establishment who had discarded the valuable piece of bread that meant a hearty meal for a bird. I doubt it was done out of kindness, but was rather just random chance. I savored my tea and started thinking about chances I'd taken in my own life, with sometimes no more thought for my own safety than the magpie on the curb, now happily devouring his trophy. Read more.
Flowers for Trudy
by Eva Bell
The shrill, ominous ringing of the telephone in the wee hours made me jump out of bed with a start. "This must be bad news from home," I thought, as my trembling hand picked up the receiver. Read more.
Finding My Way
by Aina Lee
Every now and then, I start to get restless about my life and feel it's time
for a change. This kind of thinking usually results in me making a major
life decision without really contemplating the repercussions of my actions.
The following is just the latest example of me turning my whole life upside
down. Read more.
Dare to Try
by Astrid Bracke
When I agreed to set up a political youth branch I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Neither did I when I joined the local division of a political party. And I certainly didn't have a clue when I became a member of provincial board. Looking back, my being clueless was probably for the best. Read more.
Band Interview: Now It's Overhead
by Katrina Martin
Andy LeMaster, 28-year-old creator of Now It's Overhead, speaks quickly. It's as if his mouth has a hard time keeping up with his highly imaginative brain and he wants to get everything out before his mind moves on to something new. His voice crackles with excitement--and a little modesty--as he describes his songwriting process, his role as a producer, the history of his Athens, GA-based project and how he came to know Michael Stipe. Read more.