reflection Archives - Page 2 of 3

Digging Myself Up

No way to sugarcoat this truth, for me personally, it's been a shitty summer. Three rounds of antibiotics for various unusual infections followed by a Mohs procedure (www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/mohs-surgery) for skin cancer that ended up costing me most of my left nostril and resulted in complicated facial reconstruction, which is not over yet. If my last name were Scrooge, I'd scream Bah, humbug! The combination of these events entombed me in a very dark hole. I've been digging myself up ever since. For a flaming [...]

By irvinjgdm|2022-07-31T17:04:33+00:00July 31st, 2022|contemplative, Essays, inspirational, motivational, philosophical|0 Comments

The Heart of it All

Once upon a time, the slogan for the Buckeye State was "Ohio...the heart of it all." While the P.R. guys and gals have moved on from that catchy phrase, I find myself returning to it this February...not for the state but for myself and my passion. What, I ask myself, is the heart of my writing? Here's what I came up with... 1. exploring the motivations that prompt human actions, good or bad 2. optimism...despite the chaos that threatens our world 3. a belief in [...]

By irvinjgdm|2022-01-31T17:19:51+00:00January 31st, 2022|Essays|0 Comments

Resolutions — A New Sense or a Nuisance?

Ah, the pressure of a new year...the overt or subtle messages from friends, family, the media to change your ways, make a fresh start, replace old habits with new ones. Do I or don't I make that list? Some days the desire to simply 'be' overshadows everything else and raises questions. Why must I push myself forward? What do I hope to accomplish in this moment? Do I need to always be chasing after something more? During December, I spent much of my online time [...]

By irvinjgdm|2022-01-01T14:50:08+00:00January 1st, 2022|Essays|0 Comments

An Attempt to See Clearly in the Fog…

In May I had surgery on the muscles in my left eye to correct the strabismus that has dogged me since before and after my brain surgery on the torturous blood vessel rubbing against one of my cranial nerves. (Yes, that is the official wording on the MRI analysis...torturous!). I also had the cataract removed. In August, the surgeon completed the trifecta by implanting a new lens in the right eye. Wow! I can see to infinity and beyond...if infinity is the sky above the [...]

By irvinjgdm|2021-08-31T14:52:01+00:00August 31st, 2021|Essays|0 Comments

Slinking Into Summer

OMG, it's June...summer sun, sweat, sandy beaches, sweet tea, and Slurpees...this year a languid slide replacing the frenzy of the regular routine...remember bursting from the schoolroom doors, cheering the arrival of the long vacation? With all things virtual that have filled our days, how, I wonder, will it go this year? Now, I do live in Ohio, so counting on normal on any given day is a little like playing craps. You shoot for a temperature point and hold your breath. This Memorial Day Weekend [...]

By irvinjgdm|2021-05-31T15:33:31+00:00May 31st, 2021|Essays, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Don’t Stop Believing

As I write this note, the two-inch snowfall melts outside the window, and the weatherman predicts temps in the twenties tonight. I have covered all my tender peas, lettuce, and spinach, but my heart quails at the prospect of losing blossoms on the tulip pear or on the pansies in the window box. Still, beneath the coverlet of white, spring trembles, preparing to begin again the rites of renewal and growth. And then that song plays in my head..."Don't stop believin..." I step away for [...]

By irvinjgdm|2021-05-01T23:13:23+00:00May 1st, 2021|Essays, Uncategorized|0 Comments

January 2021: Paulette Harper

It's a new day in a new year and we are so ready to be uplifted and inspired. That's why I'm so excited to introduce you to Paulette Harper. Paulette reached out to me just when I was searching for an inspirational writer to give us that burst of energy and creativity we can use after such a difficult old year. I haven't met Paulette in person...yet...but after visiting her beautiful website, I asked her to tell me a bit about herself. She is "the [...]

By irvinjgdm|2021-01-01T01:07:55+00:00December 31st, 2020|Author of the Month, Featured|0 Comments

A Thanksgiving List of Blessings

I admit to trepidation in trying to form a list of things to be thankful for during this strange, maddening, sad, unprecedented (how often have we heard that word over the last four years?) time. So, I'll start with the things that have enriched these past nine months of house hiding: wine, both white and red; ice cream; movies on streaming services; virtual streaming of the arts; posts from friends on social media; a husband who likes to cook fancy; the nature park and pond [...]

By irvinjgdm|2020-11-24T17:59:06+00:00November 24th, 2020|Essays|0 Comments

An October Like No Other

When I was a kid, the best thing about October was the run-up to Halloween. The expectation of a bagful of treats overrode any other considerations. Those with birthdays that month had their happiness doubled by the promise of presents and candy. The weeks leading up to All Hallows' Eve echo with the memory of prior years, sweet chocolate cheers, and little ones announcing their costume choices, mostly homemade or cobbled together from whatever clothing Mom could spare. This year, 2020, feels so much different. [...]

By irvinjgdm|2020-09-30T15:14:06+00:00September 30th, 2020|Essays, Uncategorized|0 Comments

A Musing On Truth and Lies

Can you remember the first lie you ever told? I can't. What I do remember is the flush accompanying the misrepresentation, the internal conflict when the admonitions of parents and priests collided with the need to shift blame, to deny guilt. Even the slightest misdirection resulted in an agony of self-reproach. I was never a good liar. I do not have a poker face. So, in the frenzy of outright lies and daily distortions that have accompanied our current crises -- coronavirus, anti-violence protests, Black [...]

By irvinjgdm|2020-06-30T15:39:59+00:00June 30th, 2020|Essays|0 Comments