Category Archives: Life or Something Like It

Holiday Cheer

I am not the Grinch.

Holiday Cheer www.GuyOliverSpeaks.comAt one time Christmas was my favorite time of year.  I grew up in a place that received snow every year—many times during the winter holidays.  It seemed kind of magical.  The time off from school, the change of seasons, and—of course—presents.

Then I grew up and had kids of my own and the Holiday season became about making it special for them.  Actually I’m not sure I ever really grew up, but I certainly had children.  Call me crazy but in addition to doing my best to make the holidays special for them, I also made certain they understood what we were celebrating.  At that time political correctness was being invented, but had not yet been integrated with the infrastructure of our culture. Continue reading

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Filed under Life or Something Like It, Marriage

The Black Sheep

I’m the black sheep of my family.

Black Sheep www.GuyOliverSpeaks.comThat declaratory statement betrays no discernible emotion, so allow me to be clear: I offer the comment with no shame whatsoever.  And I do so in the context of the reality that my father and two of my brothers are ministers, who live very good lives encouraging others and trying to live up to the example of Christ.  They have almost no vices, unless you consider striving to be virtuous a vice in itself. Continue reading

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Filed under Life or Something Like It

Life Accidental

I lead a sad and pathetic life.

Sad www.GuyOliver.comI do have family and friends who love me, but at the moment, because of circumstances that are only marginally under my control, I’m not doing much with my life right now—other than this blog.  Totally weak.

I never labored under the impression that being a writer was glamorous, in part because I never intended to become a writer.  When I was in college my writing sucked, and if you ask some people today they will claim it still does.  I was a terrible writer in college.  I discovered this fact one day when I was working a job for which writing was a requirement, and I had thus set out to learn the craft of writing; there was nothing glamorous about it. Continue reading

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Filed under Life or Something Like It, Writerly Travails