Published in Pure Randomness·Mar 5Member-onlyJesus Meets with an Evangelical PastorHe walked into the Pastor’s office, a nondescript man with a middle-eastern complexion, short curly hair, and a clean-shaven face. He wore a tan short-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and open-toed sandals. The Pastor stood behind his desk and extended his right hand. “Pastor Jim Bernard, Senior Pastor of the Church…Fiction5 min read
Published in Pure Randomness·Feb 27Member-onlyAm I still a Writer?It has been two years since I have written anything of consequence. A Medium article here or there, plenty of cover letters and resumes — most of those felt like fiction — but nothing of import. This raises the question: Am I still a writer? I got into writing later in life. I’m an IT…Writing3 min read
May 17, 2021Member-onlyMy Ex-wife diedMy emotions are in chaos — I was with my daughter watching the Great British Baking Show when my cell phone rang — my oldest son told me that his mom — my ex-wife — had died. There were good reasons why we were divorced. She had filed for divorce from me four times in our…Death3 min read
Published in Pure Randomness·Jan 16, 2021Member-onlyThe Ice StormGuyman Talks Anger “How much more harmful are the consequences of anger…than the circumstances that aroused them in us.” — Marcus Aurelius Jenny gingerly walked on her sidewalk, trying not to slip on the icy surface when she noticed her neighbor jogging by on the street. “Cathy, you are dedicated! …Guyman5 min read
Jan 11, 2021Member-onlyA Secondary Benefit of Networking During a Job LossI got laid off from my job. Twenty years of service, and I’m packing my office with someone watching and then walking me out of the building. …Job Search3 min read
Published in Pure Randomness·Sep 17, 2020Member-onlyConducting a Job Search During a PandemicI had what I thought was a safe, stable job; Director of an IT department at a large state university in the middle of the country. Places like that never have layoffs — right? Right? The university’s problems started before COVID hit. The demographic that most universities have depended on for years is white, middle-upper class, decent…Job Hunting5 min read
Published in Pure Randomness·Jul 11, 2020Member-onlyAlice was not a beautiful womanA story of possible love Alice was not a beautiful woman — not that she was unattractive — she was — just — there. I had worked with Alice for a year, and during that time, even though our cubicles were across the aisle from each other, we had said, maybe, five words to each other. Every day she sat down at her desk at 7:59, took off her…Fiction4 min read
Published in P.S. I Love You·Mar 8, 2020Member-onlyWe Met, When We Were BrokenA Poem — Poem1 min read
Published in Pure Randomness·Mar 6, 2020Member-onlyA Middle-aged Man’s Experience with Online DatingLately, I must be in a reading rut on Medium, but most of the stories that keep showing up on my home page have been about dating, relationships, and online dating. Not that I mind, I have learned a lot from these articles. The problem is that most of them…Online Dating5 min read
Mar 4, 2020Member-onlyA Madgra History LessonYoung Princess Aimee D’Aramirz has a history lesson. Aimee yawned and closed her eyes momentarily and let her mind wander to the beautiful spring day outside. She and her sister, Noemi, had found a wonderful new trail in the mountains behind the Mason Royale (Royal House), and both were dying…Elves4 min read
