Humor

Matcha, Matcha, Matcha!: The Ways in Which the Characters on “The Brady Bunch” Reflected My Own Warped and Troubled Soul

By on • ( 60 Comments )


In a random moment of erratic thinking, I thought it might be fun to compare my own psychological development with a fictional TV family. Here we go…


1. Cindy

At first, this little urchin seems to be a non-starter, as we have little in common on the surface. But as I pondered more (there’s always a lot of pondering here at Bonnywood, have you noticed?), a few shared attributes began to bubble up and break the perky surface of this Golden Curl.

First, there’s the lisp. And yes, I know it’s not polite to point out vocal challenges, but let’s face it: That lisp was a big hit at the time, with everyone thinking she was so darn cute. Now, I didn’t have a lisp, but I did have trouble speaking at times, especially if I was nervous (translation: most of the time), with the words coming out of my mouth a jumbled mess compared to their planned eloquence in my mind. This is probably another reason why I became a writer at such a young age, because I could control those words.

Second, the younger Cindy was often trussed up in odd little dresses that didn’t seem the right size, usually in the direction of “too short”. I also often had clothes that didn’t fit, partly because I was rather chunky, partly because we didn’t have much money so we wore clothes until they fell apart, and partly because we would occasionally get “gently used” donations from some wealthy friends of my Granny. (Try going through childhood wearing someone else’s anonymous underwear. That’ll do a number on your self-perception.)

Third, Cindy had her Kitty Karry-All doll. I had my G.I. Joe doll. I’m sure we were both devastated to learn that they were not anatomically correct in critical areas, although for slightly different reasons. (I already had an inkling that I was headed down the rainbow-brick road, so I was not impressed when my field research was stymied by disappointing toys.)

2. Bobby

We both had freckles and… yeah, that was about it. Oh, and the hair. I also didn’t understand the true purpose of a hairbrush until I was in junior high. I perfected the “bed-head” look long before trendy people started paying stylists big money to achieve the same coiffure. My stylist didn’t charge anything, because he was a pillow.

3. Jan

Interestingly enough, when the inevitable “which Brady are you” conversation would come up at cocktail parties, most folks would say that I was Jan. (This was years later, of course. It’s not like we sat around as 7-year-olds, swilling vodka and watching “Captain Kangaroo”.) I don’t really consider myself a Jan, but I can see the similarities. She just wanted everybody to do the right thing, and she would get a bit whiny about it when they didn’t. (Hmm. I guess that does smell a bit like the writing-incense that I burn here at Bonnywood. Perhaps I need to do another case study.)

One thing we did not have in common was the arm-flapping. Go back and watch a few episodes. Any time that Jan was really invested in a particular line of dialogue, she would start flapping her arms like she’d just been cleared for take-off. I don’t know if some drama teacher said something that stuck with her forever or it was an inherent part of her communication skills, but it’s obvious that Peter couldn’t have been the only one who broke important pieces of pottery in the house.

I’m not a flapper. Despite my Italian heritage, I don’t use any body parts when I’m speaking except my mouth. (This is yet another reason why my presence barely registered at Lageose family reunions in my youth. How can you expect your thoughts on any matter to be noticed whilst everyone around you is gesticulating like the Titanic is going down and we’d best find a lifeboat, pronto?)

But I did try the lemon juice angle with my freckles. Sure did.

4. Peter

There was just something a little off with Peter, at least in my own playbook. He gave the appearance of a nice guy, but he had that borderline-manic way of emoting. (He apparently came from the acting school of “don’t just deliver your lines, give birth to them”.) To my interpretive little mind, he had some darker issues, possibly along the middle-sibling line that plagued pinwheeling Jan. In summation: If we’re in one of those classic situations at a remote British manor house, wherein someone is mysteriously murdered in the midst of the night and we have to figure out whodunit, and Peter is on the guest list and still alive, I’d finger Peter.

Yes, I know how that sounds. Carry on.

5. Marcia

Remember those lonely times in high school, when you didn’t fit in, at all, and you would get frustrated about all those popular guys and gals who seemed to be popular for no other reason than they were pretty and had glowing hair? And those popular folks had no time in the day to acknowledge your existence? Marcia would be the head cheerleader of that group, a position she held onto with a fierce grip, despite the infamous incident wherein an errant football made her be slightly-less pretty for an entire episode, poor thing.

6. Greg

See the preceding entry, change the perceived gender, change the occupation to football jock, done. But I did identify with Greg when he got to move his bedroom to the attic, because there were times when I certainly wanted to get as far away from the rest of my family as I could.

7. Carol

This one is a little hard to flesh out with any degree of professional analysis, mainly because Carol never really did anything of importance on this show. Sure, she was a spokesmodel for that “Carol Flip” hairdo that was all the rage for roughly 12 seconds. She somehow amassed an astounding number of pretty nightgowns so that we never saw her in the same outfit more than once, long before the Kardashians tried to trend that angle on Twitter. And she was allowed to occasionally throw in a mildly-naughty zinger directed at her husband.

But really, what did she do? I don’t remember her having a job. (Did I miss this?) I don’t remember her being involved in any charitable organizations that lasted longer than an episode. She usually did not discipline the kids, instead leaving that up to husband Mike, penciling the urchins in his appointment book so they could have a “serious talk” in his “drafting room” slash “office”.

 (Typical counseling scene in said drafting room. Mike: “Peter, I understand you’ve been fingered for the murder of Countess Zoloft at Upton Abbey. What do you have to say for yourself?” Peter: “But dad, I was only acting out because I can never compete with Marcia or Greg and I just want to be loved.” Mike: “Murder is not something we should take lightly. Do you promise to make better choices in the future?” Peter: “Of course I do, now that I’ve been caught.” Mike: “Good. Now, even though it pains me, I have to punish you. Go clean your room and then apologize to the survivors at Upton Abbey.”)

8. Mike

Mike seemed to be the most laid-back dad on the planet, even when dealing with 600 unfocused children, a house that didn’t make architectural sense even though he was an architect, and a wife who apparently did nothing of significance other than shilling Wesson Oil on the side. He was clearly choking down anxiety medication with the rapidity of a beaver trying to build a damn. And in that respect, I do identify with him, as I’ve also been choking down the happy pills since roughly two seconds after this series ended.

9. Alice

But I mostly identify with Alice. (Surprised? You shouldn’t be.) She’s the one who was really running the Brady house. Dad was on medication, Mom was busy not doing anything and spending large amounts of time nowhere to be found. Alice kept the whole family fed with her concoctions created in the avocado-and-orange kitchen, and she knew just when to bake the right batch of cookies when one of the hormonal children was a bit blue and needed a pick-me-up until they learned how to drink alcohol to soften the pain.

And Alice dated a man named Sam the Butcher. That sounds completely enticing and erotic to me, in a naughty but thrilling way. But I might be a bit warped. After all, I didn’t grow up in a house with a fabulous staircase that made simply going down to breakfast a glamorous and decadent thing. Even if I had freckles.

Cheers.


Previously published, updated mildly for this new share.

Story behind the photo: This is another snap from our travels in Spain. (I think this was in Malaga? Not sure. I’m always capturing zoomed-in images that I find interesting, but I’m not always adept at capturing the details behind such.) In this case, I thought the photo was reminiscent of the infamous “tic-tac-toe” opening credits of “The Brady Bunch”. The configuration is a bit off, but then again, so am I…

Status update: I’m finally back from our vacation in Pecos, New Mexico. And despite my promise to post a few things whilst I was gone, I did not. (I did post on Medium, for the two of you who also follow me over there.) I haven’t shared anything here in just shy of two weeks, which is the longest gap on this blog since 2014. I must admit that the “break” was rather nice, not fretting over writing a new piece or revising an older one every few days. \

That break has me pondering exactly what I want to do with this blog. I’ve been sharing here for a decade, now. I’ve seen many great writers come and go, developed terrific friendships and then suddenly those friends were gone. And I understand why some folks wander away. It takes a certain spark to keep going, and for the last year or so my spark has been dimming. (I think it’s obvious by my constant reconfiguring of older posts instead of creating new ones.)

I’m not saying that I’m jumping ship, not just yet. And it hurts my heart a bit to think of not being able to interact with you lovely people. I truly cherish so many of you, finding much more satisfaction in our digital relationships than I do with physical people in my “real” life. It doesn’t matter that we’ve never met, because we really have, sharing day after day in the comments on each other’s blogs. Some of you know more about me than most members of my family. I can’t let that go easily, and it gives me pause.

So, what DO I want? I don’t know. But I do know that I need a reset, in some form, somehow. I need a kick in the ass to overcome the stasis that I feel my life has been, lately. It’s time for a change. Please be patient with me as I figure out what that change might be.

Cheers.


Categories: Humor

Tagged as: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

60 replies »

  1. Welcome back. We missed you. But I get the slump because I’m going through it myself. I’ve got a huge pile of books I’ve read but not reviewed, a million tabs open to blog post ideas, and… all I want to do is write something/ anything else. Still blaming the pandemic but that excuse is wearing thin.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • My biggest concern right now is that I’m just not working on my books. I have several works-in-progress, and they are just languishing. By the time I get through all of the notifications and comments here on WordPress (and then do the same thing over on Medium, where I (stupidly?) started yet another “blog”, because that site actually earns me a few pennies), most of the day is shot. I love the interaction on both sites, but something needs to give…

      Like

      Reply

  2. I will have my 10th WP anniversary in November (we are VERY old bloggers, Brian) and am thinking the same. It feels a bit as if I might be finished, but I hate the thought of losing contact with my bloggy friends. Like you, I’m not making that decision just yet.
    On the other hand, I did not like that show. I found all that unrelenting cheerfulness and those quick resolutions to be extremely weird. That’s not how it was in my house!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Lynette: Agreed, I’m at the point where I think I’ve done what I intended to do here on WordPress. I somehow managed to gain a delightful, supportive following, I’ve written a huge amount of stories (fodder for those books I should be working on), and I’ve had a great time. But it’s starting to feel like a rut…

      Barb: Yes, we SHOULD start an “old-school WordPress” group, so we can reflect and share. There was a time when WordPress was wonderful and fun, brimming with true writers who simply wanted to connect and raise high one another. It’s just not that way anymore, and some of the blame lies directly with the WordPress organization which has abandoned word scribblers in favor of “influencers” and advertising.

      (By the way, despite nearly 2,000 posts, I was never Freshly Pressed. I’m not complaining, as the Internet is a wonky place that mostly involves happenstance, but I did think it odd, especially when I posted every day for several years in a row. Those pesky algorithms, eh?)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. I’m afraid I was the one kid in America who never watched the Brady Bunch so I can’t relate to your post, but I did miss you and your twisted sense of humor. I’d hate to see you desert this site… as opposed to dessert-ing this site which is what my spellcheck wanted you to do…so perhaps don’t stress over reworking old blogs and just drop a personal note now and then. Let us peek behind the wizard’s curtain. That’s where all the fun stuff happens anyway.
    😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I love this: “Let us peek behind the wizard’s curtain.” Some of my personally favorite posts have been those where I drop the snarky and just speak from the heart. Sure, the humor and absurdity is fun, and I will always tinker with that angle, but I think honest sharing of our experiences and life thoughts is how we grow closer as a community of messy people who just want what’s best for everyone…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • I didn’t really watch all that much TV, as I was much more enamored with books, but in my younger years I had a basically photographic memory. (Sadly, that is no longer the case.) So, things I experienced in the 70s and 80s are crystal clear in my mind, even now, but anything from the past few decades? Not so much. I’m a firm believer that our brains have a capacity limit, and once you cross the threshold the “new” intel just bounces off and doesn’t stick… 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thank you! Honestly, I think my current situation is more a reflection of my constant need to be validated. I feel compelled to keep producing new posts just so I don’t disappoint the folks who have been so kind to me over the years. I just need to learn how to post only when I feel inspiration, not when I feel an obligation…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Can I say how it helped me to hear another writer mention the need for validation and tie it to blogging or small works? I LOVE writing my novels, but there they sit, in the cloud. Not only not validated, rejected, rejected, rejected. And that’s cool. Par for the course and all. I’ve got a thick skin. But. It’s nice to get something, usually pets, for the blog posts or the occasional published short story. I like what you said about posting when inspired vs. obligated. I think I’m “inspired” by my need for validation haha.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

    • Thank you muchly. You are one of the folks who keep me coming back to WordPress, even if sporadically, of late. You have always been so kind and supportive, and I appreciate that. (And you’re a great writer. Bonus!) 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. That stay-or-go-or-something-in-between question seems to be plaguing a lot of us lately, Brian. I attribute it to a combination of things: wondering whether I have anything of value to say, and if I’m spending my diminishing time wisely, plus the multiple roadblocks WordPress seems to be designing to make blogging less pleasant, and, finally, general exhaustion over the state of the planet. It’s a challenging time for writers, as it’s hard to compete with the absurdity and utter insanity we see in the daily news. I took the summer off from blogging and didn’t miss it, but now I’m testing the waters again. The good thing is that you don’t have to be all-in or all-out. Come and go as you please. We’ll be here for when you want to frolic in the Bonnywood playground.
    P.S. – I do enjoy seeing you in Medium, but I’m increasingly put off by the click-bait headlines and insufferable smugness of many articles. I wonder about Medium’s long-term viability at this rate.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I’m glad you brought up the “spending my diminishing time wisely” angle. I hesitated to say that in my ending comments, because it sounds a bit self-pitying. But it’s true. The time we have left is limited, and I’m not so sure I want to spend that time on WordPress. I’d much rather go through all my decades of stories, determine which are truly worthy, and do what I can to to make sure they last, somehow. And that’s a solitary venture, not a WordPress exercise. I have to let go of the “instant gratification” of blogging and focus on the pure satisfaction of writing from the heart, not for clicks…

      (And yes, Medium has become tedious. I’m giving it another month, and then I’m most likely ghosting that whole experience..)

      Like

      Reply

  13. I’d say I’m most like Jan myself 😂. This is such a fun post Brian! I understand the need for change. In my opinion I think it’s perfectly acceptable to take time off even if that time adds up to six months or a year. It’s also acceptable to just post when you actually feel as if you have something to say. Whenever and whatever that may be. Taking time to yourself to creatively reset is healthy and needed. So do that ❤️🤗

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you for your kind words. The more I ponder, the more I realize that a break from WordPress is needed. It feels like a cheat, in a way, when I recycle older posts, which is mostly what I’ve been doing lately. I need a new “writing spark”, and sometimes that can only happen when you step away, close the door, and spend some time with yourself…

      Like

      Reply

    • I have a love for cultural trivia that is somewhat questionable, so I often remember things that are of little actual value. But it makes me happy, so I guess it’s all good at the end of the day… 😉

      Like

      Reply

  15. The identification with Alice I totally get – as I also understand the reset on blogging.
    All of us “lifers” must ponder wtf are we doing worrying about blog posts forever?
    I’m like you – I’ve been so thankful for my cyberspace friends – I often prefer them to the folks I know in “real” life, but I find I have less energy than I used to so something suffers…
    I didn’t start writing for publication until 15 years ago when I’m told the publishing business changed. I’ve always had impeccable timing.
    The books came and went with little fanfare, even fewer sales. But then I discovered the magical click of “publish” on the WordPress blogs, and that seemed to me to be fun.
    Some days it still is. On those days I rejoice.
    Whatever you decide to do, let’s still be friends. I wish you the best – you deserve it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I am completely with you on everything you just said, including the bit about our books coming and going with little fanfare. (I had dreams of being the next Harper Lee. This did not happen, at all. On the flip side, I’ve had that dream for fifty-plus years, and I refuse to give up on the possibility, even if everyone else has, including the agent that I could never afford.)

      And yes, the instant gratification of the “publish” button on WordPress captured my heart for many years, and it still does. But my definition of gratification has shifted. I want something else, but I’m not sure what.

      We will always be friends. I sensed a kinship from our very first conversations. Our souls know one another, despite the varied (and sometimes same) experiences. Should I drift away from WordPress, you can find me at LAGEOSE@gmail.com. And I promise to respond, as long as I still remember how to use email… 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. I was always jealous of two things on The Brady Bunch–Cindy’s blonde ringlets and Mike’s office. I never got the blonde ringlets but at least I have my own office, and that’s much better than fussy hair any day!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Agreed. My appearance has slowly but considerably dropped on my list of personally-satisfying things. I mean, I don’t run out of the house looking like a drunken troll or anything like that, but as long as all the important bits are covered by something comfortable and I’m freshly-showered, I’m good to go. The home office, though? Well, let’s just say that if anyone messes with my designated writing area, the sudden appearance of a drunken troll will be the LEAST of their worries… 😉

      Like

      Reply

    • I will confess that I felt really bad about those closing comments, setting it up as I did for a possible departure. But now that it’s out there and I’ve dressed the stage, there is considerable relief and the “pressure” (mostly self-induced, of course) is mostly gone. I’ll just post whenever the whim strikes me and we’ll see how it goes…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. There you are.. I have been missing you. It does bother me when people disappear without so much as a wave bye.. A friend of mine who manages a blog took a year off. It wasn’t intended to be that long but that’s how it ended up and now according to them they are back and ready to get busy writing.
    Being stuck here for the most part at the beck and call of my folks my interactions with people are rare, so I write. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it comes out of left field. It is all a way to get the words out of my head before they warp and explode into the public in some form of mass confusion.
    More importantly, I will never look at the Brady Bunch n the same way again.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hey there! I’ve missed you, as well. (And I’ve just discovered that I was no longer following you, yet another WordPress hiccup and mystery. I just rectified that.)

      I fully understand using writing as a bit of self-therapy when you’re in a situation that is not fully of your choosing. Frankly, that’s how I managed to make it out of my formative years without being a complete mess. We have to get what’s in us OUT or things can go very wrong, quickly….

      Like

      Reply

  19. I saw that message about your following and I was sitting here thinking “but??” I’m glad though you reconnected as I value your presence and thoughts. WordPress does have some interesting moments, but then again, I recently discovered that all of my WordPress notifications were going to my Spam box. Ah technology. Talking about the writing, my son came in for lunch one day while I was working on my blog. Not being a writer in any capacity, he cannot comprehend the actual need for written expression. His lack of such being the reason I usually express my inner thoughts when he is nowhere around. But he also has a job and people on the outside in which to connect and converse.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. Merely judging from the amount of chatter (comments) on this post alone, I’d say your popularity remains up there with Marsha. I do understand the feeling of SSDD though. Having been really sick for these past eight months (that long?? 😵 ) I’ve had that feeling, especially after having no internet for six-eight weeks. It’s hard to start fresh when all you might feel is like chucking the whole thing and just hibernating for a winter or two. I hope we are still friendly friends who are on the page with each other. I lost a very good (IRL) friend in mid-September and the loss still shakes me up. It’s not that she was young, and not that she didn’t deserve a reward for her unceasing efforts to help other people; but that like the ‘Fire and Rain’ song by James Taylor – “I always thought that I’d see her again.” If you can call even one person that kind of friend, you really do have a good friend who will stand by even in the roughest of times.

    Good luck with the soul search mi amigo! Perhaps tomorrow will seem a tad brighter?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hey, Sister. I know we’ve been out of touch for quite some time now, through no direct fault of either of us. (I knew things were going on with you; I’ve been busy with other projects; these things happen.) But I would think we’re still on the same page and we’ll always be friends, even with the hiccups and extended gaps.

      I’m not really in a blue mood, thankfully. It’s just that I’m realizing my priorities are shifting. (Perhaps a better statement would be “some of my priorities are coming out of hibernation and demanding attention”.) I’m not sure where I’m going with the WordPress angle, but I can’t see myself giving it up entirely. There are too many good friends here, including you, even if I have been woefully lacking, lately, with my end of the friendship stick. It’s just the my visits will probably become weekly rather than daily, at least until I find my groove again…

      Like

      Reply

  21. 1. I don’t know what “freshly pressed” means, unless you’re talking about my ex’s pants.
    2. I never watched The Brady Bunch. I’d have come closer to watching a show about parents eating their children if they misbehaved. Yuk yuk.
    3. I’m not sure I can get used to not having my “Brian fix.” But I understand. I haven’t written anything since….um….whenever it was…the last time I wrote anything.
    I have thought about writing a Halloween creepy…creepy things that are actually true.
    4. I’m very sad. 😪

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • 1. “Freshly Pressed” was something that the WordPress Gods used to do, wherein they would pick a post from a blogger and then share it with all the members. It used to be a big deal, but it slowly dwindled in importance. Just like your Ex…

      2. You didn’t really miss anything. I only watched it because there were only three channels and the pickings were really slim.

      3. I still plan to share things here, just not near as often as I used to do. And yes, please do a Halloween post or two about creepy true things. I already have tons of Halloween stories in my vault, so I’m sure I’ll drag a few of them out, pretty them up a bit and throw them out here once again…

      4. Don’t be sad. It doesn’t accomplish anything. Be happy that we’ve become friends and will hopefully be so for years to come…

      Like

      Reply

    • Well, I’m not sure how to answer that. I haven’t posted anything “new” here on Bonnywood since September 27th. Perhaps you’re stalking the wrong person? These things happen, as I have done the same many times in my sordid past… 😉

      Like

      Reply

  24. Hi Brian, I’m back from my holiday break/away from blogging. As for your epiphany about time, life, the universe and the way forward, I know what you are going through, though on a smaller scale. The affirmation of self mixed with NEED to express oneself either via WP or taking time out to write the novel or Medium is there; You can try to bury it, but like a teenagers incipient pimple it will pop up and demand attention sooner or later. The trick is for you to either do as you are doing, prioritising your time- and it IS your time- or discovering how to put 48 hours worth of writing/editing /commenting into a 24 hour day. Now I’ll play devils advocate and say its your blog, your life, your time and if it means you have to leave the good ship WordPress to silently sink it will be our loss, but you can have a decent crack at the novel.
    My daughters bought me a years subscription to Storyworth and I have found it to be a different way of expressing myself other than the usual comfortable (per)verse way. A change-up helped me expand my writing style and made me look at what I wish to do, and it did show me I have another string to my bow, and that’s something I didn’t have before. Anyway, enough sober sombre pontificating! Know if you do take time out/away you sure will be welcomed back. Well written twisted and subtle humour is hard to come by, and your followers have said so. But it is your life, don’t shirk cutting loose where or if you must. Sometimes there is a f- fork in the road, and who knows where it may lead to? Or, perhaps, back to?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you very much for your thoughtful words, Kind Sir. I’m with you in everything that you’re saying.

      I have to admit that my WordPress sabbatical (and that’s what it’s quickly becoming; I’ve only posted once in October) has proven to be the right thing, at least for me, at this time. I still read a select group of posts daily, but the sudden surge of extra time in the day has made me realize that I had been spending a tremendous amount of hours “rinsing and repeating”, what with the posting and the commenting and the responding to comments. I enjoy all of those activities, but I wasn’t moving forward. I wasn’t accomplishing anything, not really. I was just checking off the boxes in a finite loop that circled daily.

      The biggest thing for me, in my current headspace, is the wretched realization we are both facing: the limited amount of time we have left to finalize our legacy. This means different things for different people, but for me it has always been about my writing. I’ve wanted to write books since I first realized what one was. I have thousands of stories, tucked here and there and everywhere, and I want to cull them, nurture the best of them, and package them in a way that someone, somewhere down the line, can stumble across them, like I have stumbled across those of others, and think “well, this is nice. I wonder if he wrote anything else?”

      So, that’s what I need to do. And I’m trying to do it. At least for now. Tomorrow, well, who knows…

      Cheers.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  26. Ah, I was afraid to read the words you posted, but I understand. You are truly remarkable for creating so many wonderful and memorable pieces. I’ve always admired your writing.

    I realize you didn’t say you were Done, just re-evaluating, and that is something you owe yourself. I hope your next direction, whatever it may be – even if it’s the same one – will bring you satisfaction and joy.

    P.S. I wanted to tell you that in a couple of weeks I’ll be starting a new job with a company that owns a few businesses, including an independent movie theatre. It’s a 70-year-old theatre, and it still has an old-school projector. They hired me because they liked my blog, and I mention it only because I hope something fabulous will come from your inspiring, moving, funny, and clever work.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. First, thank you for your kind words. They were lovely to hear, especially considering how much I enjoy your own writing.

    Second, “where I’m going from here” is still up in the air. I’m struggling somewhat over on Medium. (You and I both know how hard it is to establish a following on any platform.) So, I’m not sure that Medium is the answer for me. Right now, I’m torn between returning to WordPress (I miss my friends!), doubling down on Medium (after all, I am making a little bit of money over there, and I could make more), or quietly stopping blogging altogether and just concentrating on my books. I just don’t know, but I’m giving myself until the end of the year to make a decision.

    Third, your new job sounds really swell. Wouldn’t it be great (and perfectly fitting) if you found yourself in charge of running film festivals? I would pee a little bit with excitement. Of course, I’m fast approaching 60, so I sometimes tinkle unexpectedly already, especially if I’m laughing really hard or some fool thinks it would be fun to scare me in a dark hallway. (Our gaskets ain’t what they used to be, eh?)

    Anyway, it’s been delightful chatting with you, as always. Wishing you the best as we both learn about our new tomorrows.

    Big hug.

    Like

    Reply

  28. I now have so many people following my blog, “Perfect Potential Power Po$ting”, “Get the Right Attitude Blogger”, and who could forget “Cool Component$ 4-YOR Networking”. I’m sure they are all dazzled by my Dadaist compositions and Asemic Art. 😀
    As I mentioned elsewhere/else-when, mastodon has opened a door to new content & community. It may give you a creative spark, and a new audience for your wonderful rambles through memory, pop culture, and absurdist realism. Take care. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Whoops, it looks like I missed this one when we were remark-conversing yesterday. Please forgive. I just scanned through my email and I see that you’ve sent me some Mastodon details. Gracias! I shall peruse henceforth…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Hope that helps. A few of the bloggers have shown up there, as well as a number of my mutuals from Bird. Obama is the most followed person on Twit, if he ever decides to set up his own server on Mastodon, the social media fireworks display will be incredible to watch. 😀

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  29. Happy new year Brian. I hope you’re working your way through the labyrinth; its not easy when you are wrestling with yourself. Whatever you do, enjoy whatever you do in the new year.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.