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Freezing Warm Sunday Morning
Warm Sunday morning. 11:11 on the clock. Been sitting here since nine sharp. Why can’t I get up, I wonder, as if it doesn’t happen enough times for me to know freezing like this is no surprise. The fatigue of a long past week condensed all at once. I subconsciously try making the feeling of calmness last. And the transition from waking to rising takes its time, it plays by ear, so accordingly I hold back. It’s the reflection of the sun through the blinds that I can’t stop looking at, displayed on the white ceiling like an art installation, is it not? And the ceiling fan spinning nonstop on…
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Dear Mr. Potential Ex Man
I knew it as soon as I got in the car. I knew you’d be a friendly chatty guy. “I’ll call you right back, I’ll call you right back,” you said to whomever was on the phone, hanging up at the speed of light. Then, you greeted me with all smiles and that line. “Tell your man you’ll text him back cause you gotta talk to your driver now.” When I heard you say those words, I could read through your game plan. My intuition might’ve failed me terribly at other living times of life, but not now. Most times, I know an interested man (and a player) when I…
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One More Night: Lies I Told Myself
I don’t know how or when it started the first time I told myself these lies, grown so tall it’s hard to find the truth hidden somewhere deep in the twisted roots. One more night, I kept saying. And then it was two…and three… and it seems now too infinite to count. How do I go back to the beginning? Possibly the only way to understand at which point in my history I was cornered and held captive. Maybe going back is the only way to get out of it while I can. But oh do I want to stay… Contradiction and masochism played a part; a code that’s been…
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The Art Teacher Who Couldn’t Draw – Excerpt
For my short stories, please visit Books Once upon a time, I signed up for a foreign program to become a language teacher assistant. The program would allow me to work and live in Europe. I was hired and, despite some doubts, in the end I said, why the heck not? My role was described as “prepare activities that focused on language and culture (based on the United States, in my case).” Essentially, I had to recreate the American English version of everyday lessons, adding a touch of their own culture. Of course, this was flexible; every school made use of their assistant differently. Piece of cake, I thought. That…
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Breaking: Indie Writer Finishes Book
Available at stores below: Smashwords | Amazon | iBooks One thing every independent author knows is how darn hard it is to go from idea to writing to publishing, all on our own. Whenever any non-writer says, oh I could totally write a book, I have to imagine they’re not aware of all the snags that come with the territory — writer’s block, the lack of time, the sleepless nights, the urge to edit as you write, the pain that is the formatting, the marketing… which one can only put up with when the passion for the art is bigger than the desire for the money. That’s why it’s a BIG deal…
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Where He Goes – Excerpt
“By the way, you like pasta, right?” “I do.” “Perfect. Wine?” “Please.” Talking about world news and the occasional nonsense, we sip on wine and snack on veggies while waiting on the water to come to a boil. It’s so surreal to be here with him and not FaceTiming or texting. I’m close to finishing my first glass of wine when Dante, in his suave way, comes closer and tries to remove a string of moist hair from my left eye. “You know you could just ask me for a hairdryer, right?” he whispers in my ear. “And you couldn’t get any closer if you tried,” I tease him. But…
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The Boy Who Didn’t Choose Me
I guess it is in my head where destiny has decided to write your name. Forever wondering about the day when it’ll no longer be it or why I have no say. Doesn’t matter if I move north or south; you’re still one of those memories that stand tall and proud. And I can’t, for the life of me, understand why in history life chose the boy who didn’t choose me. How many other hearts have you broken? Oh, right; you wouldn’t know because we all know you like to pretend you’re a saint. Forgive me, my friend, but the line is long. We all standing here know your game.…
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Compilation of Best Posts
To whom it may concern: I compiled my favorite and best blog posts from the past six years and they’re now in this eBook format, for the avid reader on the go. You can make them your kill-time stories if you want. I always love hearing from new people outside of my regular blog postings. It is free, of course. About SayEtcétera: I came up with the word around 2014, when I started creating greeting cards and needed a catchphrase as a signature for my store, something that summed up my work. Its meaning is very literal: “…and so forth.” Basically, say everything, anything that you need to say.…
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The Road, The Unknown, and I
I had my earbuds in my ears, volume up above healthy levels, blasting Rihanna’s We Found Love when I got distracted thinking how funny it was that I walked the same paths almost every day, yet have never run into the same people that pass me by walking their dogs or rushing to work. There’s no better therapy to me than going for a long walk when it feels that harming thoughts, anything, or anyone is trapping me. 17520 hours later, I still walk the same walk, breathe the same air. Different faces everywhere, but same air. And the road seems friendly even with its unusual faces, the faces that…
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Red Flags and All That Jazz
Sign language is an artistic way of communication that not all of us can interpret, nor master. Isn’t that the same reason that not all of us can read signs—as in, metaphorically? Red flags aren’t always red; green lights aren’t always green; and sore points aren’t even visible. Science says humans are at the top of the list for most intelligent creatures, but some animals have a better response and reaction time when they sense harm or fear. I get it. Things aren’t always clear. You need a voice to go along with that sign, don’t you? I regret to inform you that you’re on your own. The good news…
