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To Put the Heart Into
by Abby Zwart | Sep 12, 2013 | Placeless
He told me the etymology of the word “encourage.” “It comes from the old French, which comes from the Latin. It means, ‘to put the heart into,’” he said.
No Joint Locks
by Elaine Schnabel | Sep 11, 2013 | Placeless
I want the action Bonhoeffer describes: “Not in the flight of ideas, but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of the living.”
Tuning In
by David Greendonner | Sep 10, 2013 | Placeless
I’ve been struck lately by how difficult it is to communicate in the “communing” sense of that word—how miraculous it is when two or more people actually manage to share an idea, to get excited about the same thing, maybe only for a minute.
AIM Made Me Do It (Part Two)
by Bart Tocci | Sep 9, 2013 | Massachusetts
We all came out from behind our trees like were were ambushing the Redcoats and let our eggs fly. CRACK CRACKCRACK. Three out of five, not bad.
Croutons
by Caroline (Higgins) Nyczak | Sep 7, 2013 | Hungary
On our Cultural Differences handout, there was no missing the only sentence written in all capitals: NOTHING IS STABLE. YOU CANNOT PLAN.
Phishers of Men
by Josh deLacy | Sep 6, 2013 | Colorado
Say what you will about jam bands and hippies—Phish fans have enthusiasm. More than the music, more than the thrill of seeing famous performers, I liked the concert for its energy.
Pretty as a Peach Pie
by Alissa Anderson | Sep 5, 2013 | Placeless
I lingered over the sultry sweetness of that slice of pie…and then had peach pie and hot black coffee for breakfast three mornings in a row.
Tongue Ties
by Sabrina Lee | Sep 3, 2013 | Italy
Between the cobblestones and the hills, nothing is level here in Perugia, Italy, and although I’ve wandered through almost all of the piazzas, vias, and alleys of the historical center, I still haven’t found a right angle. Nothing is flat. Nothing is straight. ...
Seussian Politics
by Jacob Schepers | Sep 2, 2013 | Placeless
I’m not calling for a retreat into idealism. That said, I do see the merits of altruism. So what if it isn’t practical or realistic or the way things work?
Making it Happen
by Amy (Allen) Frieson | Sep 1, 2013 | New York
I had been camping once in my life, the summer after graduating from high school. I went with a few friends and contributed by helping hold the tent up after it fell down.
Digging
by Abby Zwart | Aug 31, 2013 | Placeless
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
Signs of “The World that Ought to Be”
by Brett Beasley | Aug 30, 2013 | Placeless
Real writing, writing that involves careful feats of attentiveness, helps us discover not simply one opinion or another about the way things are, but rather it helps us realize the way things ought to be.
Swimming in Tongues
by Nathan Suhr-Sytsma | Aug 29, 2013 | Ireland
I began to think that being immersed in another language feels something like being in the ocean. Once you get through the initial fear and shock, it’s an addictive feeling.
Steely Dan at The Fox
by Stephen Mulder | Aug 28, 2013 | Detroit
That relentless perfectionism is a big reason why, 35 years after their commercial peak and 10 years since their last studio album, Steely Dan is still such an incredible live act.
The Idea and The Reality
by Brad Zwiers | Aug 27, 2013 | Holland
On June 3, 2013, Jared Scripture moved in with us. Two things you might ask: 1) Is his last name really Scripture? 2) Who is “us”?
Was George Washington Funny?
by Griffin Jackson | Aug 26, 2013 | Chicago, Michigan
For better or worse, movies are selling us hilarity for the price of a ticket and popcorn, and we’re buying it.
Serenity at Some Point
by Bethany Tap | Aug 25, 2013 | North Carolina
There will be many events that happen which are completely out of my control. When those situations occur, the trick will be to let go while continuing to hold on.
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
by Lauren (Boersma) Harris | Aug 24, 2013 | Placeless
Someday, we’ve got this promise of a glory land, a place where our forever will be golden. But in this life, Eden sank to grief. Leaf subsides to leaf.
Aunthood
by Jenn Langefeld | Aug 23, 2013 | Placeless
What is she thinking? You hope she approves of you. You touch her nose, her thin eyebrows, her fuzzy black hair. You trace her perfect ears.
Faith Healing
by Robert Zandstra | Aug 22, 2013 | Oregon
Perhaps what I question most is the emphasis that both “medical science” and faith healing place on the disappearance of symptoms in individuals rather than communities.
An Open Letter to Grade School Educators
by Libby Stille | Aug 21, 2013 | Placeless
So teachers, don’t expect that your kids will tell you in fifteen years how you teaching them to carry the one deeply affected their lives.
Navigating the Bike Trail
by Calah Schlabach | Aug 20, 2013 | Virginia, Washington, D.C.
It wasn’t so much that I was worried about my own ability to navigate the hazards of the trail, but that I did not trust anyone else—and generally for good reason.
The Strange Case of the Bookcase and the Bedroom Floor
by Mary Margaret Healy | Aug 19, 2013 | Pennsylvania
How can a person as unorganized and untidy as I am simultaneously be so anal retentive about how to arrange books?
The Dog Days of Summer
by Matt & Laura Hubers | Aug 18, 2013 | Grand Rapids
I couldn’t fully articulate this at the time, but I saw a new puppy as a means of gaining control of my life. So much was changing, and I felt like I was being left behind.
Intersections
by Geneva Langeland | Aug 17, 2013 | Michigan
Bridges I have aplenty. What I crave is intersections. Intersections—those moments of synchrony, of serendipity, of crazy coincidence.
The Little Elephant
by Andrew Knot | Aug 16, 2013 | England
But more often than not, I’m surprised at the curiosity and ability of my students. Yesterday marked one of those moments.
Let’s Get Physical (Books)
by Will Montei | Aug 15, 2013 | Placeless
The truth of the matter is that homes are much less beautiful without bookshelves packed full of books. They decorate the nooks and crannies of homes with artful spines and interesting thoughts.
Back to School
by Sarah (VanderMolen) Sundt | Aug 14, 2013 | Placeless
This year is a different story. Now I’m the teacher. While I got through my first year of teaching, every time I get asked the question, “How did your first year go?” I answer, “Really hard.”
On How to Remain in Control While Having a Child
by Melissa Dykhuis | Aug 13, 2013 | Placeless
Once you have reached the Hospital, you may proceed to Have your Child. If you have maintained Sufficient Control, your Labor and Delivery will be short and full of Screaming.
A Trivial Pursuit
by Abby Zwart | Aug 12, 2013 | Placeless
We’ve literally never heard of the 1964 movie Scotch Tape because we were not, in fact, alive in 1964. So no, we don’t know who starred in it.
