I was halfheartedly listening to the radio a few days ago when a woman, finishing up her interview, declared flatly: “God is on my side.” I punched the radio off and sat in the silence wondering why those words provoked such a powerful irritation in me. I used to be vehemently atheist and outspoken about […]
I came to Nashville for the same reason that I’ve done a lot of things in the past 11 years– to get away, to make a clean break, to start over. This is one of the less dramatic iterations, seeing as I don’t want to fully wipe the Etch-a-sketch clear and start over altogether, I […]
consecration The lone god stood before its lone follower and addressed him in a voice loud enough for the others to hear. “From this day forward, if you want me as your god, you must make a gift of your own flesh to me. You must cut off the sheath at the end of your […]
competition In an effort to acquire more followers, the gods devised ways to set themselves apart from they others. In the old days, there had been no need for sweeping rules because a god and his followers were in constant communication. Each day was filled with advisement and actions and mistakes and adjustments with limitless […]
conception Before there were humans, the earth was a massive vacant stage filled with pleasures and tragedies and experiences that went unrealized with no actors to carry them out. The gods of the outer atmosphere yearned for a way to fill the void, but they were formless and could not do it themselves. And so […]
Written in honor and memory of friend and colleague Steven Kolberg, whose battle with cancer and and dance with life ended today. We drove to that strange state packed tight in the car and buckled in with greeting cards and a somber air. There in the back yard, I was surprised that he could see […]
Originally published in Periphery Magazine ; Audio version here Listen. There was a time when people did not speak. The entire human vocabulary consisted of a single noise. It was an even hum, a length of m’s strung together, no syllables, no vowels, just “mmm”. These early sounds carried only one meaning: acceptance. A birth or a […]
I’d like to feel about Christmas the same way that I feel about Halloween. In other words, I’d like to just enjoy it and have fun. I grew up celebrating both holidays with unqualified joy. Each year through my childhood my family would pick out pumpkins for carving, and, a month later scout for a Christmas […]
When I was young, my God lived in the sky. With angels and believers by his side, He looked down at me from Heaven, and I sent my prayers into the air so that He may listen. As an adult, I lost that God. He does not exist to me now. There is no […]
People, like deer and celebrities, tend to cluster amongst themselves. Anytime you should encounter a sitcom star, be still! Lower your gaze. Chances are good that his Emmy-winning girlfriend and the whole supporting cast will come trundling after.
OberDoIt 