Calista Bergerson is twenty years old, a full-time college student who also works twenty-five hours a week. If that weren’t enough, she’s also a member of the Army National Guard under a “six-by-two contract” (actively in the Guard and going to drills for six years; then, for an additional two years, she will still be… Continue reading Guard
Author: Jocelyn
There's this game put out by the American Girl company called "300 Wishes"--I really like playing it because then I get to marvel, "Wow, it's like I'm a real live American girl who has 300 wishes, and that doesn't suck, especially compared to being a dead one with none."
Blue
“And I’ll meet you at our usual place,” Helen said by way of wrap-up, as she did every time we finished planning an outing. The first time she said it, I squealed. “I love that we have a ‘usual place’! I’ve only been in Belarus for a few weeks, and already I not only have a friend, but we even have… Continue reading Blue
The Dress
While the fall semester of 2020 was widely and rightly hailed as crushing for both teachers and students, it also presented glories. For me, one glory was a 17-year-old student named Miranda who enrolled in my Writing for Social Media class. Every week, I grinned at my screen as I read her work; the character… Continue reading The Dress
Inbox
6:43 p.m. I am sorry to bring this up, but I noticed the paper was due yesterday and not Sunday. I finished the paper prior to the rough draft phase, I have been waiting to turn it in. I made the inept decision to wait until Sunday to turn it in. I apologize for my lack… Continue reading Inbox
There
The back of my head touched shoulder blades as I squinted into the sun, up the ladder rungs to the sky. One, two, three, four, five, six — nope, too high, back down again — five, four, three, two, one. I wanted to get to the top of the shiny metal slide, but not if… Continue reading There
Safe
During savasana, there is meditation, tonight “loving kindness.” First, we were prompted to generate a sensation of safety in our bodies. The teacher urged us to picture someone or some place where we feel secure and say to ourselves, in brains and in cells, “May I feel safe.” After that, we worked through “May I… Continue reading Safe
Melted
The light changes. A cover has opened, slit of sun beaming into the darkness, a ha-ha neiner-neiner taunt transmitted from the world of wind and spit. In the quick second between dandelion shaft blinking back to onyx, a gentle violence occurs, crinkling followed by thump. A book has been returned. *** With that thump, the… Continue reading Melted
Covid Diaries: Mice
May 19th Out walking this afternoon, I received a message from my sister that made me cry. As an Early Childhood teacher, she’s been missing her wee students these past months, despairing over any meaningful education happening through technology: So, I had to go close down my classroom the other day. I was so afraid… Continue reading Covid Diaries: Mice
Is That All?
What was that, there on the sidewalk? I was finishing my daily constitutional when I spotted a heap of oddities mounded on the cement in front of our house. Bending close for a good peer, I realized it was a wadded-up pair of latex gloves and a couple crumpled bills. Had a neighborhood kid dropped… Continue reading Is That All?
Covid Diaries: Tea Party
May 12th My right eyelid has been twitching for four days. May 12th Apparently Allegra’s never heard of flying squirrels before? When Byron asks me which point of the latest Sawbones podcast had me snorting when we were hiking the other day, he wonders, “Was it when Justin was going off on flying squirrels?” “FLYING… Continue reading Covid Diaries: Tea Party
