Uncategorized
-
Recently, my publisher reached out and alerted me to a blog contest they thought I should enter. The theme was anything Christmas-related, be it holiday traditions or an original story. I chose to write an original story. It’s short, somewhat poignant, but ends well. I hope you enjoy it. The Roadside Oasis by Michael DeStefano…
-
Many years ago, on December 18th at approximately 7:00 p.m., two particles, spiraling through the universe, collided. No one (myself included) believes in love at first sight until it happens, and then suddenly anything feels possible. Without a second’s compunction, I would have married Kathy that very night. As it would come to pass, we…
-
For years, I wanted to write a short story in the vein of Robert Lawson’s Rabbit Hill, but with a Fielding theme and a Dickensian vibe. It was one of those projects I thought would remain a wish—an ambition to stimulate my mind on long car trips and sleepless nights, but would never come to…
-
Often, inspiration can hide in plain sight. Our minds take in thousands of images per day, and our ears pick up clusters of words, whole thoughts, and fragments. Amid such a mishmash, it’s difficult to determine our true influences: that which stands at the forefront of our minds or what lurks in the depths of…
-
Because “American” is not an ethnicity, and “America” is essentially a patchwork quilt, she’s a nation devoid of a definable culture or a cultural aspect not mutually exclusive to market inventions. But that doesn’t preclude her from having an ethos, a vibe, or an atmosphere. For example, football, autumn, and Thanksgiving, on their own merits,…
-
I don’t have three pet peeves. I have one overarching vexation that I turned into a mantra for my life, and it goes like this: My Time Isn’t Yours to Waste. Those who always arrive tardy, flustered, bedraggled, and armed to the teeth with excuses, have one common trait: there’re a pain in the ass.…
-
If you haven’t already seen the video, you’ve at least heard about AI’s latest shtick: Keeping grandmothers alive. Give it a watch. It will only take a minute. My thoughts are below. We’ve finally made it! A generation ago, thanks to medical science, what used to require major surgery is solved with an in-and-out procedure.…
-
Imagine riding from Braintree, Massachusetts to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania… on a horse! Then imagine embarking on such a journey in the dead of winter, during a snowstorm. Who would do such a thing, and why? The “who” was John Adams. The “why” was because that’s how vital Adams’ presence was to the Continental Congress. Adams, Jefferson,…
-
Many years ago, alone, I drove from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to meet my wife, who had flown there days earlier. In Delaware, I merged from I95 onto 495 (Veteran’s Highway), a spur that subtracts several miles from the trip. It was a Saturday night at twilight. I had churned up many…
-
A fool’s paradise There is a proverbial bridge that leads to a proverbial place. The place is commonly referred to as “Too Far,” accessible by the abovementioned bridge we just mindlessly crossed. And presently, we appear to be standing on Too Far’s threshold, preparing to get drawn into its vortex. Once in its grip, the…
Michael's Corner 