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I have recently learned something new.
It is a peculiar thing to quit a job.
Since my last day at the newspaper, a few things have happened.
One has been a little more difficult to figure out how to respond to than others. (more…)

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Rick Reilly quit writing.
Not reading his column anymore is sure to be as unusual as Shaq making a free throw. The Cubs winning a Series. Wakefield frying a radar gun.
I looked forward to the column.
Sometimes it amazed. Other times it aggravated.
Whether it was amazing or aggravating, most of the time I felt like I could become a writer from reading it.
His column — one I first discovered in Sports Illustrated — showed what happens when sports takes a back seat to the people who play them.
Rick Reilly quit writing, and reading sports won’t be the same.

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We met The Mother, but we hardly knew her.

We won’t get the chance to, either. The series ended Monday night, and for a while after the show I was sure the web was going to explode.

Most of the reaction I saw after the series ended was venomous, and the debate raged on today.

I decided I’d weigh in and discuss why I liked the finale.

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It has contained many stories, and through it their pages come alive with language.
It has heard the voices of veterans, who told tales of fighting for freedom. It has replayed soldiers’ shaky tones as they remembered comrades who didn’t come home. It has documented the struggle and strength of a brave boy who refused to back down or give up throughout a long battle with cancer. Time and time again it has been a megaphone for those who have overcome obstacles and triumphed in spite of tragedy.
It has contained many stories, and within it their essence is preserved.

My 100-word posts are inspired by a WordPress blog called All of 100. The authors of the site, which has been operating since 2009, committed to write 100 words a day – no more, no less. I decided to take up the challenge because I thought it might help me write more concisely. It is more difficult than I thought.

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Can I do this?
Can I write things people actually want to read? Can I write things people actually want to read and keep them within a specific, 100-word limit? Can I craft short stories, literally, with characters and plots worth the time it takes to read them and the cost required to post them to this thing we call the Internet? Can I write short, awesome works of literature while watching a show about the shortest celebrity marriages? Can I write these 100-word proses without having one idea to write about? Can I make a statement?
Yes, I can.

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A few days ago, while suffering from a serious case of writer’s block, I came across a writing prompt that asked for my idea of what life would be like if I were a handicapped person. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I wondered what other people’s responses would be if they were to walk a mile in my shoes.

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