Ten Days of Quarantine

Byadamk November 3, 2020 1 Comment
I travelled to meet my biological sister in Florida for the very first time last weekend. We had a blast. But it wasn’t a “real” vacation involving relaxation and forgetting about work while catching up on 30+ years gone by. I punished my immune system with travel and low sleep and beer. Her (now my) family recovered from COVID a month ago, so I wasn’t worried about them. And of course,...

Hey! It’s a Boy! Part Two

Byadamk October 27, 2020 0 Comments
If you haven't done so, please read before the post below. Otherwise, you might be a little lost. A time warp developed in my cubicle as I anticipated any number of possible replies she would send. I wasn’t even sure if she would respond. My mind started racing. Maybe it’s the wrong email? What if it’s the right person but she has no interest in starting a conversation? After all, it’s...

My Plan of Action for COVID Times and Beyond

Byadamk October 23, 2020 3 Comments
The Pandemic has turned introspection into a way of life for me. Even at the onset of the lockdowns and uncertainty, I have tried to steer my path towards some sort of goal. If this is “life” for the time being, I am going to make the most of it. I’ve put my head down and tried to focus on the writing that keeps me sane and the work that pays my bills. The shift happened naturally given...

Hey! It’s a Boy!

Byadamk October 14, 2020 2 Comments
My teacher stood in front of the class and wrote a question on the chalkboard, "What is something that makes you feel special?” Our homework assignment for the night was to write an “essay” on what we thought made us special, and as you can imagine, there was quite a clamor after this announcement. The kids gathered together and discussed what they might choose before we walked to the bus...

The Longest Summer

Byadamk September 25, 2020 0 Comments
When friends and family ask what I’m up to on any given night or on the weekend I usually respond, “I’m just laying low.” They give empathetic replies because for the most part they are doing the same. This year has worn the hell out of everyone but especially the people that have been on the front lines of the madness the whole time. The news cycle, the virus, the Lindas and Daves --...

When Everyone Is Jumping Ship

Byadamk September 9, 2020 1 Comment
I am barely into the fourth week of my new position at the grocery cathedral and people are jumping ship. In a production meeting our manager informed us that almost everyone in a leadership position of the department is leaving or attempting to leave the glass house that is prepared foods. Every industry is different but that’s the name of the game in the grocery world. The turnover is high...

From Inside The Grocery Cathedral

Byadamk September 1, 2020 2 Comments
I am two weeks into a different phase of my life on the grocery line. I moved into an inventory and receiving position for our prepared foods department. It’s a nice change of pace and I have more time to work on my book among other things. And now that I’ve had a chance to work behind the scenes, I am beginning to see the store in a more revealing and complete light. And I know now that it...

Reflecting On My Grocery Line Hustle

Byadamk August 16, 2020 0 Comments
In 2001, the world was entrenched in strange and uncertain times much like the one we find ourselves in nearly twenty years later. The tragedy started more localized in the United States but the effects were certainly global as an endless war began. The internet was growing and information was becoming more readily available, although, we wouldn’t see the exponential expansion of information...

Let’s Rally Around Essential Workers

Byadamk August 7, 2020 1 Comment
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was optimistic that people would rally together for a greater good. I imagined that in the midst of great peril we would put aside our differences to help each other understand our fellow human beings. I envisioned lovers talking to each other more often and with deeper meaning and neighbors conversing over fences for the first time about their deepest fears....

Where to Begin…

Byadamk August 2, 2020 1 Comment
On my second day at work, the pace is starting to pick up. The store is a lightning rod of energy and commotion where the world begins and ends in a spectacularly mundane fashion. Children are running from their mothers. In every direction people are yelling and complaining and laughing. I try to absorb this curious and lively Institution of Americana with intention and purpose. The humdrum of...