April 22 column

Once again didn’t go online, so here’s the full text. 

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The economy’s still tight. That’s common knowledge and I don’t think you’ll find anybody willing to argue with you on that point. We’re still seeing the effects in many places, including sports. Namely, NASCAR. For a sport that involves watching a bunch of cars drive fast, many people are becoming less willing to drive themselves in order to see a race. The act of getting out to a race is quite different than say going to a baseball game. For the most part, sports like baseball and football are relegated for the most part to fans that live in the immediate area of the city in which the team is known for. Races, on the other hand, aren’t about a particular city’s sport as much as they are about a weekend (or two) per year that brings in over 100,000 people from all over the country to root for no less than 43 different drivers (or teams).

All that being said, the stands at NASCAR races have been startlingly empty this year. A few weeks ago, when the sport ran the half-mile bullring of Bristol Motor Speedway, a track that is an essential part of NASCAR history and one that has produced some insanely good racing, there were a ton of empty seats. Part of this has to do with changes to the track surface that changed the way competitors race on it, and Bristol officials have since decided to change it back to ensure the fans see the kind of racing they’re used to: one lane, beating and banging action.

So while the quality of the racing is of course a major factor, so is the quality of the facility. If you’ve got less money in your pocket, do you really want to trek out to a race track that may not provide you with the kind of experience you’re looking for? Do you want to get mired in traffic jams, get to the track and find dirty bathrooms, or get to the track and find absolutely nothing to keep you occupied until the racing begins?

Enter Texas Motor Speedway. Last week was the annual Samsung Mobile 500 weekend held each April at the track, and my Dad and I attended, like we have the past two years. This time around, I also happen to be a member of the Texas Motor Speedway Fan Council, a group of racegoers selected to offer input and suggestions on how to improve the track experience for all fans. The fact that the council even exists is a point in favor of the track, but listening to the other members who have been to other tracks was an eye-opening experience. One fan who has also been to Talladega Superspeedway, a very popular track on the circuit, said the racing action was great, but the actual facility was awful, and that he wouldn’t be returning this year because he had to drop a track based on his personal finances, and he chose to drop Talladega. Everybody else on the council had a ton of praise for the track, and “I’ve been to different tracks, and you guys are the best” was said on more than one occasion.

I’m inclined to agree, even though I haven’t been to any other tracks, and the quality of the facility is one of the main reasons the Texas race featured a significantly higher number of filled grandstands than other races thus far this season. The drivers will put on a show no matter what, that’s for sure, but the fans still need to be taken care of and given the experience they deserve.

Not only is Texas Motor Speedway a beautiful and clean facility, track president Eddie Gossage, and all-around genius, also offers fans numerous other activities to keep busy while exploring and waiting for the racing. This year featured a pre-race concert by rock band Foreigner, something that kept the 40-something crowd jazzed, as well as their traditional “No Limits Garage Party” for season ticket holders. This year’s party featured sumo wrestling, mixed martial arts demonstrations, world’s strongest man competitions, a selection of local food trucks, and an entertainment stage featuring driver interviews and music. Not to mention, the party is also held in close proximity to pit road with easy access for fans who have credentials. All in all, it’s a great experience.

I could have spent this column talking about the actual race, which broke records for average race speed (160+ miles per hour), fewest cautions (2) and probably highest wind gusts (I’m guessing over 234 mph), but I was compelled to talk about the facility instead. I’ve been going to Texas Motor Speedway regularly for three years now, and I’ve yet to have a bad experience. Eddie and his team are focused on presenting a total package for fans, one that has “No Limits,” as their marketing slogan claims. Their passion, execution and dedication is something that all track owners on the NASCAR circuit can certainly learn from. And maybe, they’ll start filling up their seats again.

April 15 column

Not sure why they go online sometimes and other times not. Here’s the full text for April 15. It went in the physical paper but not the online edition.

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My life as a Rangers fan has been a long and winding road. I was raised on baseball and raised on the Rangers, thanks to my mom’s fandom, and have never had interest in any other team. This loyalty means I’ve rarely had any reason to be interested in the MLB playoffs every October, as the majority of the Rangers’ existence has been one of mediocrity, and thanks to sluggers like Juan Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez, controversy regarding steroids. Needless to say, it’s always been very difficult to be a Texas baseball fan.

So you can only imagine my utter euphoria the past couple of years as the team has implemented an extremely successful plan of discovering and cultivating young talent, bringing them through the farm system with the end goal of putting them on the team and watching them run wild. You can imagine my joy as the team has won back to back American League Championships and been the AL representative in the World Series. And of course, you can imagine my utter sorrow at losing the World Series two years in a row.

But this year, we’re going to take care of business. I can feel it. Those two sentences right there showcase the change in my fan experience. For most of my life, I would never express such optimism about the Rangers. I would talk here and there about individual players and their capabilities and talents, but never about the postseason, because it just wasn’t something that seemed to be very attainable. That’s all changed in a few short years. Now, I’m talking about players as well as the playoffs. I’m talking about the teams that look good and which ones might present problems if we head to the postseason. For once, I’m actually willing and interested in being a part of the larger baseball discussion.

A lot of the baseball discussion this year has centered around Yu Darvish, a Japanese pitcher that caused a massive bidding war among MLB teams clamoring to claim him and add him to their roster. The Rangers were able to win that bidding war and Darvish is now the fourth man in the starting rotation. And he’s caused quite a buzz, especially considering he was quite the stud in Japan: the girls love him.

Darvish made his first start in a Rangers uniform last Monday night in Arlington. The hype was through the roof, with fans in both the United States and Japan crowded around their television sets to watch the game. And it didn’t go well, at least at first. Darvish walked the first batter he faced on four straight pitches, then proceeded to walk another, and by the time the first inning was over, he’d thrown over forty pitches and given up four runs. In the second inning, he didn’t throw as many pitches, but he gave up another run, and most people figured he’d be out of the game soon. But he was able to calm down, get his head straight, and eventually made it through five and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs. For many pitchers, this would be impossible to come back from, but when you pitch for the Rangers, it’s not a big deal. The offense came alive and won 11-5, letting Darvish still get counted for the win.

In that first inning, I was getting texts left and right expressing disappointment, concern, and downright anger over Darvish’s performance. Some folks said we spent too much money and it obviously wasn’t worth it, others said they were sad at the poor start, but most of the texts were negative. I actually found myself telling people to calm down, that it was only Yu’s first start, and that he’d settle down in the game, which, thankfully, he did. Once again, this is a complete one eighty from the way I used to be. Here we were, in a position that Rangers fans got used to a lot in the early years of the franchise, and rather than accepting defeat and planning for a loss, I was confident, fully prepared to watch a comeback and a win.

It all goes to show that baseball is a great metaphor for life. I mentioned in my review of The Hunger Games about the ups and downs of life, and baseball can present a perfect microcosm of that. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you stay loyal to your team and to your beliefs, and you press on, because one of these days, you’ll get that championship, no matter how long it takes you.

And for the record, I still believe in Yu.

April 8 column

Read it below or here. 

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Last weekend, I participated in the 2012 Walk MS for the Dallas area. I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago, and after a couple of months of intense fundraising, we gathered with thousands of other people to walk in support of research and – hopefully very soon – a cure for multiple sclerosis. Almost all of our team, the Wacke Walkers (it’s a geology reference; my girlfriend understands it; she’s the only one that does) came into town for the event, and it was, as last year, a rewarding experience that inspires hope for a cure.

I gave you the full, dramatic rundown in this column a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I’d try to take a more lighthearted approach this time around and share some of my thoughts from the weekend. Spoiler alert: there’s no talk of fish loving vomit like in the column about my cruise.

1. Usually at the walk, you’ll see a lot of people who bring their dogs to the event. This year was no different, and we actually recognized one of the dogs from the 2011 walk. Most dogs actually participate in the walk, but last year we saw a giant (read: obese) pug that was being pushed in a stroller. He just sat there, tongue hanging out, and didn’t once try to leave the stroller. This year, that same pug was back, and it seems his eating habits have not changed, because he was bigger, and this time around, he was riding in a Radio Flyer wagon. I guess the wheels on the poor stroller couldn’t take his bulk anymore.

2. It seems the sun has decided that this will be the spring of sunless mornings. The weather forecast for the day of the walk showed a high in the 80s, but it was cloudy and cool when we woke up. Several team members asked if they should bring a jacket, and playing the strict drill sergeant, I told them to man up (or woman up, as most of our team is female) and get out there. Needless to say, I was taking some flak when the midpoint of the walk rolled around and there was still no sun. I got a bit chilly myself. Lesson learned: never try to predict Texas weather.

3. No matter how many people attend a given event, you will inevitably run into people you know. At about the midway point of the walk, I heard someone calling my name. Turns out, it was my boss. He participates in the walk with his sister, sister-in-law , and a team of family and friends. But think about it, thousands of people, all walking the same, fairly narrow, route, and I run into him. Coincidences, y’all. They happen.

4. Yorkie Poos aren’t fans of long distances. My girlfriend’s sister brought her dog Kirby to the walk. He’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen, but he can be a bit spoiled as well. While most of the other dogs were walking in a straight line on their leash, giving up the reins to their owner, Kirby was veering back and forth, exploring the terrain. Luckily, he didn’t almost trip a few elderly folks last year. Anyway, his energetic exploration of anything and everything tired him out pretty quickly, and it wasn’t long before he was being carried the rest of the way. Did I mention he’s spoiled?

5. Walk MS is the epitome of inspiration. One of the main reasons the Walk MS is such a relevant event to support research into the disease is because the longstanding effects of multiple sclerosis are often immobility for those it affects. Therefore, it sends an important message when we walk, because we’re doing it for those who cannot. The full length of the walk is a little over three miles, but there is also a one mile option for folks who can’t make the full course, and there is a truck that drives through the course and is available to pick anyone up who finds that they can’t go on. But the fact that people still try is so inspirational. I saw two young men pushing their father in a wheelchair, at times jogging and at times walking. I saw youngsters wearing signs like “I walk for my daddy” or “I walk for my gran,” and it gives you such hope. When this many people support the search for a cure, there’s no way it’ll fail.

6. My team rocks. We grew our size by just a few folks this year, but almost doubled our fundraising total. I set the team’s goal at $7,000, and as of Tuesday, we had raised over $9,400. I’m so proud of them and everything they’ve done to raise money for this cause. From Facebook and Twitter posts, to personal face-to-face requests, they used every technique at their disposal to raise money. One of our team members held a garage sale at her home in Houston to raise money for the team, and she also organized a flash mob to bring awareness to the cause (check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_n28UZitCg). I’d take the folks on the Wacke Walkers into battle anytime.

With the continued success of the MS Walk, I know that we’re getting closer and closer to a cure. I can’t wait for next year, and I’ve got no doubt that we’ll raise even more money for research into eradicating this disease. Even though the walk is over, there’s still time to make a donation if you’re interested. Go to bit.ly/RobertWalk and click on “Donate to Robert.” Or shoot me a quick email with your thoughts. Any support is appreciated.

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Robert Rich is a media relations and marketing associate at Texas Instruments. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and wrote a column in the Herald-Press for four years. He’s happy to be back. E-mail comments to robert.ray.rich@gmail.com

April 1 column

May the odds be ever in your favor. Read it below or here. 

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I tend to rely on my girlfriend when it comes to what’s hot in the world of Young Adult (or YA as it’s often called) literature and film. I rediscovered and fell in love with Harry Potter in 2009 after she was hyped about the release of one of the films, and ended up reading all eight books in the series in a short span, as well catching up on all the movies. I tend to either not pay attention to the hype that surrounds things like this, or consciously ignore it because, after all, something written for children or teenagers wouldn’t appeal to me, right? In truth, I’m very easily entertained.

The most recent thing she’s brought to my knowledge is The Hunger Games. HG, as I’ll call it from now on, is a trilogy of books written by former Nickolodeon writer Suzanne Collins and as of last weekend, now a movie. The first book in the series, and the movie, revolves around the following plot: In a dystopian post-apocalyptic North America, the landscape is barren save for an almighty “Capitol” and 12 surrounding districts, all of which are basically poor and exist to supply resources to the Capitol. At one point, the districts rebelled, were defeated, and now, as a remembrance of when the districts were defeated, and as a symbolic event to show the Capitol’s dominance, each year the Capitol hosts the Hunger Games. Two children – a boy and a girl – are chosen from each district are chosen at random and flown to the Capitol to compete in a battle to the death in an arena of the Capitol’s design. The entire event is hosted on live television, treated pretty much like the Super Bowl, and only one child can win, after which they receive riches beyond their wildest dreams.

The story revolves around a girl from District 12, Katniss Everdeen, who ends up in the games after volunteering to take the place of her sister. I’ll stop the spoilers here. Last year, I donated to a friend of mine from UT who’s now in Teach for America so that she could buy the books for her class of 7th graders. I hadn’t heard much about the books, so when I received thank you notes from the students, this comment took me aback: “My favorite part was when they murder each other.” I didn’t think much of it until just recently when I read all three books (in the course of like a week, mind you) and saw the movie, and it all started to click. My question immediately was this: is this really the type of thing kids should be reading?

Before you decide to hunt me down with pitchforks, let me go ahead and answer the question: yes, it is. I’m a massive proponent for getting kids to read, and I think it’s ridiculous when books get banned from school libraries. I mean heck, I read Fight Club when I was like 14, and that’s certainly not the most kid-friendly book in the world. But my concern with the HG was whether or not youngsters should be reading about such violent and bleak themes, especially when a majority of the deaths that happen are kids themselves. But the more I think about it, the more I think the trilogy is a perfect example of what kids should be consuming, especially in our contemporary times.

First and foremost, the violence and death is not something they’ll be surprised by. They see and hear about much worse things from practically every plotline the entertainment industry cranks out, as well as the news. So who’s to say that another story centered around fighting, murder and conspiracy is going to finally tip them over the edge? They’ve heard it before, they’ll hear it again, and nothing’s going to change that.

Truly, the biggest reason I think it’s actually a good thing for students to read the books and watch the movie is that it’s actually a wonderful discussion and snapshot of the times in which we live. Our world, whether we like it or not, contains dark undertones. I don’t mean that to sound pessimistic or cynical, but it’s true. Not everything is peachy. Our economy continues to fluctuate, money is tight for families everywhere, helped in no small part by rising gas prices and wages that struggle to keep up with inflation. People die. People go hungry. Just like in the book. But also, people keep living. Collins’ book, and the movie captures this as well, is a great portrayal of themes we see every day, from the media and perceptions of celebrity, to the very real effects of loss and death. Collins has also said the book is meant as a statement about the consequences of climate change, but don’t get me started on that nonsense.

I won’t give away anything here, but with a plot like the one in HG, you can already assume that some characters will die. However, some will live. This essential fact it what makes a story that is science fiction so relatable to today, and what makes it perfect for anybody to read, kids or adults. We live in a world in which some people will die, and some will die way earlier than they have any right to. We live in a world that knows oppression and seemingly unthinkable destruction. But still, we continue. Those that live do so in remembrance of their dead, and in stark defiance of that oppression and destruction. The Hunger Games, when it’s all said and done, is about a concept that is extremely relevant to our times. Whether or not he’s the one to deliver it to us, it’s about something we heard a lot during Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign: it’s about hope.

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Robert Rich is a media relations and marketing associate at Texas Instruments. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and wrote a column in the Herald Press for four years. He’s happy to be back. E-mail comments to robert.ray.rich@gmail.com

March 24 column

Talkin’ about that cruise, yo. Read it below.

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I’ve come to the conclusion that whenever you take a vacation from work, you should be given a bereavement day before coming back to mourn the end of the trip. I sure as heck could have used one this past Monday. The week before, I took a seven day cruise from Galveston to Key West and the Bahamas with my girlfriend, my roommate and his girlfriend. It was my first time cruising, and I absolutely loved it. There’s just something about being on a boat in the middle of the ocean, with absolutely nothing but water visible all around you that gives you a bit of levity. Rather than give you a play-by-play of what happened and turn this into a novel-sized column, I thought I’d share a few of the things I learned during my trip.

1. I don’t get seasick. Since I’d never in the open ocean before, this was a legitimate concern, and one that I probably over-prepared for by pretty much buying up Tom Thumb’s entire stock of Dramamine. It was all unfounded though, and I discovered that I’m quite the fan of the back and forth rocking of the boat in the water. So, if anybody’s looking to start hoarding Dramamine, you know who to call…

2. I will never learn to wear flip-flops on hot surfaces. The last couple of days of the trip were both at sea with no ports of call, so we took advantage of the time to lay out and get some sun. Think about it: a wooden ship deck, sitting directly in the sun for the entire day, and yet when I got up to go inside and get a glass of water, I didn’t feel it necessary to slip on my flip-flops first. Hopefully the third degree burns on my feet were traumatizing enough to help me remember from now on.

3. I love magic. The ship we sailed on was the Carnival Magic, so they of course played up that name with various illusionists onboard. While the major stage magic show was just as cheesy as you’d expect from something of the sort, we befriended one of the resident sleight-of-hand magicians – named Axe – and even sat down with him after one of his shows to give feedback and tell him where he could improve. Making helicopters disappear, while impressive to see, is usually nothing more than a mirror trick, but the kinds of illusions Axe performed were truly awe-inspiring: up-close, cards disappearing and reappearing in the hands of guests, items starting as something and becoming something else (he turned my $5 bill into a $100, but unfortunately changed it back before handing it over), it was all…magical.

4. I’m addicted to umbrella drinks. And Blue Curacao. Believe it or not, though, those tiny umbrellas don’t serve very well to keep out the rain.

5. The water in the Bahamas is amazing. I’m used to the ever-murky look of Galveston bay, so our experience in Freeport was life-changing. Snorkeling at Peterson Cay was like being in a swimming pool. The water was crystal clear, visibility was endless, and the wildlife was second to none. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be trying to snorkel in Galveston anytime soon.

6. Fish love vomit. We also snorkeled in Key West, and for the most part, visibility was low, the water was choppy, and you’d only see one fish every few minutes. At one point, though, we were engulfed by a giant school. We thought it was awesome, until we found out afterward that someone had gotten sick in the water and the fish swarmed to it thinking it was a source of food.

7. I seem to be becoming a crotchety old man. I’ve only been out of school two years, but I’m developing personality traits you’d expect from a stereotypical grandpa. There were an estimated 1,500 children on the boat with us, and while some were adorable, many of them irked me, including one overly confident eleven-year-old whose obnoxious dancing and bullying tendencies led me to dub him as my nemesis.

8. I love young adult novels. Despite the old man tendencies mentioned above, I still fall prey to the hype of the YA hits. First it was Harry Potter, and now my girlfriend has me addicted to The Hunger Games. I sped through the first book during the cruise, probably will have the second and part of the third finished by the time you read this, and went to see the movie in IMAX yesterday. Sometimes, it’s just nice to forget about the complexities of the world and view things in the black and white, life and death perspective of kids.

9. Always spring for the balcony room. We did, and it was awesome. We weren’t cramped into a tiny room only a window to look out of, we actually had a balcony we could go out onto and view the water. And when you’re in the middle of the ocean and the water is as blue as you’ve ever seen, you definitely want the balcony.

10. I didn’t really miss my phone. This shocked me, too, because I’m usually attached to the thing. But save for Key West, when I turned it back on since we were technically in the US, I didn’t miss my constant stream of work emails and Facebook updates. The 245 messages that greeted me upon return were definitely annoying, but for that week when I didn’t have to think about them, it was glorious.

11. Dolphins are the coolest thing ever. We participated in a shallow water interaction in Nassau at the Atlantis resort, and it’s something I’ll never forget. I was shocked to discover that dolphins actually feel exactly like vinyl, rather than the slippery wetness I was expecting, but I wasn’t shocked to discover they are brilliant animals and love to play. I kissed, high-fived and belly rubbed Jonah and Sasha (the dolphins we played with) and it was a bucket list activity that I really want to do again.

12. Tip well. We all know this anyway, but do it. During our snorkeling in Freeport, after about 30 minutes my lack of physical fitness caught up with me and I got exhausted, leaving our tour guide to basically drag me back the rest of the way to the beach with the float he carried around. He did well, I made it, and gave him a healthy tip for it. But seriously, tips are pretty much how these folks make their living, and it’s karma to recognize that.

I learned many other things during the trip, but those are the highlights. Now, I’m back in the routine at work and already planning my next cruise. Who’s coming with me?

The columns are back

I won’t even pretend like I’ll keep this thing up regularly, because I always tell you I will, and then I don’t.

But, I’m writing for the Palestine Herald Press again, so at the very least, this can be a repository of those columns. 

First up, the March 10 edition. Read it below or at this link

 

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 Hello friends. It’s good to see you – and write to you – again. For those who may not know me, I wrote a column here in the Herald Press while I was attending UT in Austin from 2006 to 2010. I’ve taken a couple of years to get my bearings in the real world, and now I’d like to come back and restart the column, if you’ll have me.

I was inspired to write this week after a particularly intense round of fundraising for an event I started participating in last year: Walk MS. Various walks are held across the US throughout the year, all supporting the National MS Society, which is aimed at raising awareness and funds for research into treating and hopefully curing multiple sclerosis. So, of all the fundraising entities for all the illnesses in the world, why MS?

In 2009, my girlfriend began experiencing episodes of rolling numbness throughout her body. The sensation would come and go throughout different extremities and her midsection, sometimes many at once, other times less. After countless doctor visits and two MRIs (and everybody knows how fun those are), lesions were discovered on her brain and spine that indicated MS, and she was officially diagnosed with the disease.

A quick trip to Google or WebMD can give you more information, but here’s a quick rundown on what MS is. The disease is an autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system of the brain and spinal cord. Myelin – the protective covering around nerves – is systematically damaged and destroyed by the body (hence the autoimmune characterization), forming scar tissue and exposing the nerves, leading to symptoms like the numbness she felt, and as the disease progresses, effects can range from muscle weakness to blindness and complete immobility. For the most part, it is still a very confusing and misunderstood condition.

Not long after being diagnosed, she enrolled in a clinical trial for a new drug administered via a subcutaneous injection every two weeks. The first year of the trial she was in the placebo group, but the second year, she began receiving the actual medicine. The drug, a type of what is called interferon therapy, a common treatment for MS, works to slow down the speed at which the myelin is destroyed, preventing time between symptom relapses and prolonging high quality of life for patients. She finished up with that medicine last year, and is now taking a more established interferon drug, delivered intramuscularly once a week. Her body seems to be adapting to the drug finally after five weeks, but before that, the administration of the drug was met with extreme flu-like side effects for hours after receiving the treatment.

That medical lesson was basically to get this point across: I participate in the walk for her. I want nothing more than to find a cure for a disease that, even though it’s serious and affects more than 400,000 Americans, is often overlooked in the grand scheme of things. The goal of Walk MS, and my goal, is to change this. I want the entire world to think of MS alongside cancer and heart disease as one of the most critical conditions facing our country and in need of assistance.

For the most part, I consider myself a very generous and giving person, but it wasn’t until my girlfriend was diagnosed that I truly started thinking about what it means to give to a cause and be charitable. I don’t think this is necessarily a negative thing, and I think it’s something that many people also discover about themselves as their lives go on. It’s hard to truly put your full self into a cause until you have that personal connection to it. I now have a personal connection to multiple sclerosis and committed to fighting it. Because of this, though, I’ve also developed a greater appreciation for other causes: I donate a portion of my paycheck every pay period to the United Way, my company’s biggest charitable initiative, and I routinely donate money for books to one of my good friends from college who is in the Teach for America program. There are many very worthy causes in need of assistance, and now that I have that understanding, and the means, to help them, I want to.

I promise that as I continue writing this column again, we’ll get back into the scathing pop culture commentary you’ve come to expect – and maybe love, probably hate – from me, but I wanted to write about a cause that’s very near and dear to me this week.

If you’d like to contribute to my cause, please go to bit.ly/RobertWalkand click on the “Donate to Robert” button above the giant thermometer.  Any little bit helps, even if it’s simply an email of “Go Robert!”

I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things with this column, and I hope you’re excited to join me.

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Robert Rich is a media relations and marketing associate at Texas Instruments. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and wrote a column in the Herald Press for four years. He’s happy to be back.. 

Shall I go on?

Folks, I’m trying to write again. I have a spectacularly disastrous, illustrious in the worst way possible career when it comes to writing fiction, but dammit, I can’t stop trying. If I can just get something, anything produced that is halfway decent, be it a short story, novella, full blown novel, hell, even a Chinese parable, I’ll probably feel satisfied and move on. But, until then, here we are.

What follows is the very beginning of my attempt to once again write something that is not akin to a five-year-old’s homework assignment “write a story. use complete sentences.” Wish me luck.

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Donnie was almost asleep when felt it. He had drifted into that hazy state of semi-consciousness that was as precarious as standing on the edge of the cliff, not quite snoozing but not quite aware of his surroundings either. The state wherein an intrusive pseudo-nightmare could jolt you back to reality: an imagined fall, a charging animal, a gunshot even. But this was none of those things. What Donnie felt was even realer than those terrors.

As was always the case, his left arm had fallen off the side of the bed when he started to drift off. No matter where he started, he’d always travel to the left side of the bed, roll onto his stomach, and the arm would slide right off. He often woke up unable to move the thing for a few minutes because all the circulation had been sealed off. It felt like a lead weight, and several times had made him think he was having a heart attack, or had gotten the thing amputated and not realized it.

At this point in his slumber, though, he had not yet lost feeling. Which is why he felt it. At the tip of his fingers, a soft rush of air, no more than a whisper of a breeze, but concentrated enough to have only come from a mouth. Someone was blowing on his fingers. That, or the can of air he kept in his study and used to blow the dust out of his keyboard had wandered down the hallway, into his room, and begun to operate itself.

The breath he barely registered. When you fall into that state of semi-consciousness, it takes more than a soft tickle of air to bring you back to the real world. But when a hand emerged from the same place as the breath, grabbed Donnie by the wrist and yanked, that was certainly enough to wake him up.