Clearing out old paperwork, I found a file entitled “Ideas.” Filled with parts of poems, pieces of essays, a screenplay tidbit, even drafts of personal ads (for me and for friends), it’s mostly dreck and drivel from younger days, but I can’t quite throw it away.

And, for laughs, here is something I wrote more than half my life ago while working my first job out of college. With apologies to Roberta Flack…

I heard it was a good job
I heard it had a plan
And so I came to work here
And advance when I can.
And here here it is this new job,
A strange new place to be
Killing me softly with this work
Killing me softly with this job

I feel all flushed with fever
Embarrassed by my plight
How can I tell co-workers
I cry each, every night
I pray the work will finish
But computers drone right on
Killing me softly with this work
Killing me softly is this job
Ruining a young life.

PS – There was another poem I wrote about that workplace. I think it was called “The Cesspool.” English major post-college angst at its finest!

Cast aside

Cast aside

2013 started with a surgical improvement. Once again, I am amazed by modern medicine. With three tiny incisions, my surgeon was able to insert a camera and tools into my knee to fix a torn meniscus that’s been nagging me for years. Within days, I was up and walking.

If only it were all so easy. Three scars and cut out my overeating tendencies? Sign me up! Three more to implant a habit of regular exercise? Yes! Just three more for a procrastinationectomy? Please!

Alas, there’s no magic trio of scars to trade for my flaws. Or is there? Hard work, diligence, patience – not literal scars, but they’ll certainly leave their marks. Just as my knee surgery wasn’t really magic (I need to do ~ 6 weeks of physical therapy), changing habits won’t happen while I sleep. That’s fine. I want to be awake and moving forward as steadily as this scarred vehicle will endure.

In addition to exercise, eating, and procrastination (quite a trinity), I’ m aiming to read better in 2013. For the past two years, I’ve kept a list of every book I’ve read. Seems like a natural item for a blog post, right? No. The preponderance of chick-lit vampire stories is a little embarrassing. This year, I want to read at least 30 books, and have my guilty pleasure reading better balanced with well-written, maybe even literary, books. If I want to be a better writer, I need to be a better reader.

So lucky 2013, welcome. Bring it on!