Mr. Joyce Takes on the World

Psyche opens the golden box...and finds chocolatey truffles!  I often mark the passage of time with anniversaries of some sort. It can be the date a favorite book was published, or a favorite film was released. Tomorrow marks a different kind of anniversary. I had a session today with my therapist, as I do every week. Every session I have with her is important to me, and is time well spent.  Tomorrow marks three years that I've been working with my therapist. Over that time I've learned a lot, and grown a lot. And so has my therapist. We've learned a tremendous amount from each other, and will continue to do so for a very long time. The lessons I learn from my work with her enable me to live a fuller, healthier life. They also help me to have relationships with others, and myself.  And so to mark the occasion, I did what I always do... I wore the same clothes that I wore to our first session. The same blue-striped polo shirt, and tan trousers. I no longer have...

Electric Lindsey Violin  There are certain times in my life when I’m convinced that certain people are angels, or angels in training. Lindsey Stirling is one of those people. There’s a light and warmth that radiates from her. It travels through her well-honed fingers, and into the elegant violin that rests under her chin. And from those four strings she is able to create an entire spectrum of sound. It’s as if the notes themselves are like colors. And Lindsey is painting her emotions on the air with a sonic brush. I had the opportunity to meet Lindsey on June 13th, 2014--just one week after my thirty-fifth birthday. I felt that this would be a late birthday present for me. I’d never met any of the musicians I’ve been a fan of before, and so this would be something very new for me. But also, it gave me a chance to meet someone that I both admire and respect as an inspiring figure; musically, spiritually, and personally. Needless to say, I was nervous. I was so ner...

                                                                                                                       A Finger Snap in Time  I’d normally write some sort of introspective piece about my impending birthday. And this is no different.  I’m not where I expected to be in life. I don’t think most of us are where we’d like to be; either emotionally, physically, or geographically. I don’t ascribe to clichés about “life dealing us a hand.” Instead, I feel that life is half of what you do, and half of what it does to you. There are choices that we make, and consequences that follow. Not all of us had the same opportunities in life, and so we don’t all wind up where ...

Harold Ramis  1944-2014 I will talk more about the Ghostbusters 30th anniversary in future posts. Suffice to say I am deeply saddened by the loss of Harold Ramis. He was one of the comedic talents that shaped the humor of my childhood; and helped defined 80's comedies. I truly am saddened by his death, as are all Ghostbusters fans.  In addition to his considerable talents on-screen, Ramis was also a successful screenwriter and humorist. He co-wrote both Ghostbusters films (with Dan Aykroyd) as well as Animal House , Stripes (in which he co-starred with Bill Murray), Groudhog Day, and Caddyshack (the latter two were also directed by Mr. Ramis). His wiki entry for director and writer (respectively) reads like a "Best Comedies of All Time" list. It also includes the first National Lampoon's Vacation film.   His earliest writing gigs were for National Lampoon magazine, and as a joke editor for Playboy. His earliest television work was on the ic...

Riley Vs. The Comic Book Thieves   On the morning of New Years Eve, December of 2013, my mother and I went back to the old house to retrieve some things, as we were in the process of moving. The front door was locked, but on entering, I noticed that something was amiss. I saw the pantry door was open, along with every door in the house. Even the kitchen cabinets were opened. The basement door was open as well.  I then said to my mother, “Somebody was in here.”  “Are you sure?” she asked.  “Somebody had to be in here.” I said. “All the doors are opened.”  I then went down to the basement, and saw that one of the windows down there had been smashed. It was broken from the outside. Shards of dusty glass glistened on the concrete of the basement floor. And as the basement window is next to the backdoor, I then checked it as well. Both the deadbolt and knob were unlocked, which is incredibly unusual. I always locked both the knob and deadbolt, eve...

Long-Term Resolutions  I have to confess that I’ve never made a New Years Resolution. Frankly, I could never think of anything when asked. I also feel that the idea of a New Years Resolution is really a self-fulfilling prophecy; one that is rarely fulfilled. So, I’ve never attempted any of the usual clichés such as lose weight or quit smoking. I don’t smoke, and I figure that losing weight is a long-term commitment, and not a off the cuff gesture. I did attempt, and succeeded, at losing some excess weight I’d gained about three year ago. While I’d like to lose another five pounds, it’s not something that I’ll do overnight. Anytime someone wants to improve their life it’s always a series of steps, not giant leaps.  So, with that said, I don’t see myself making resolutions for this year. However, I do see myself setting long-term goals for the near future. While these goals will not be accomplished anytime soon, they’ll at least give me something to strive for in the f...

Thumb   “The strangest things happen to you on your way over here.” Julie had said.  She sat across from me, and was completely focused on what I had to say. Julie is good at that; her dark-brown eyes remain focused on me, and seldom break eye contact. She weighs what I say with a level of sincerity. It’s a skill that I wish more people had, even in everyday conversation. What I told her that afternoon was another example of the bizarre coincidences of my daily life. It’s another one of those, “Guided” moments.  I cross a bridge to get to therapy, literally. The Smithfield Street Bridge spans the Mon River, and connects Station Square with the rest of the city. This isn’t one those now famous bridges that was featured in the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises. So I can’t claim to have seen Joseph Gordon-Levitt driving a school bus across it (in the film‘s climax). It does however boast some neat graffiti, which I often photograph. That is when I’m foolish eno...