Looking Back: Bailieborough

It was the last week of May, 2012. The plans were made months in advance, but it wasn't until I was packing too much into a too small suitcase that I realized I was really getting to go to Ireland. I'd gotten my passport only just before we were set to leave, and I was…

It is difficult to be sad and useful at the same time.

One of the easiest ruts to get stuck in, and the hardest to get out of, is depression. I don't write about this much, or I try not to, because I like to pretend it doesn't exist. When I was very young, maybe six years old, I had severe anxiety. So for a time I…

If

Life gets busy, folks. For that reason, today's post is coming in the form of one of my favorite poems. Perhaps if I have a minute to my self later, I'll post something more substantial. Here is IF, by Rudyard Kipling.

What’s in a Name?

I have a last name that's quite uncommon in the US, and not so uncommon in Poland. My parents kept their last names when they got married, and since my dad has the nondescript name 'Smith' he encouraged my mom to give the kids her maiden name: Ratajczak. (Spell check still doesn't believe that's a…

Most Embarrassing Story

Everyone at some point in their life is asked what their most embarrassing story is. If you haven't been asked this yet, it's coming. Many people blush or shudder at the question. Personally, I have trouble thinking of a suitable story. That's not because I've never had something embarrassing happen to me, but more because…

Ulysses

A few years ago I had the pleasure of spending a few months of the summer in Ireland. It was two summers in a row actually, and truth be told it changed my perspective on life. I met some of the most enjoyable people I've ever encountered, from all parts of the world. I've never…

Shocking Stories

Once upon a time I had a little brother. I still have a little brother, but he was a lot littler at the time. Charles was a bit absent minded, something of a daydreamer, and didn't exactly think things through before he did them. We also had a little fish tank that sat in the…

Horror Hospital

I cannot stand being in hospitals. I know that that's irrational, that hospitals are places that heal people and help them. Yet of the many experiences I've had of hospitals, I can't help but feel that hospitals are terrible places. My first experience of hospitals wasn't so bad. I'd be in a hospital every other…

Tantrum Tantrum

I come from quite a large family by today's standards. I'm the second of 9 children, all of which come from the same two parents. We older kids not only babysat, but taught and instructed the younger ones as they came along. From shoe tying to reading to tree climbing to prayers before bed, they…

Flickering Lights and Other Gags

A little over five years ago, during my senior year of high school, I had just moved into my dad's apartment. It was one of those big complexes with a dozen buildings and probably a dozen units per building. Each floor had its own laundry room so you didn't have to go out to the…