Michael T. Miyoshi's Blog, page 31

End of School 2020

I do not like the end of the school year. Especially this year.

The end of the school year is never any fun for me. Sure, the kids all chant, “No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks.” And Alice Cooper’s song, School’s Out, plays on loudspeakers everywhere. But I find the end of the school year to be bittersweet. Often more bitter than sweet. Especially, this year.

To be sure, the 2019-2020 school year has been unique. Our local student body has had bad news and tra...

Change the World

Praying Hands

by Albrecht Dürer

This work is in

the public domain.

A Poem for the Graduates of 2020

Amidst all the chaos and strife of this year


You might have felt trepidation or even some fear


COVID-19, deaths of classmates and friends


Made you wonder inside if bad news ever ends


Then murder and protests and riots and more


Made you believe only bad news is ever in store

But I must reassure you, it is good news I bring

Not just sunshine and roses because it is spring

Yes bad things do ...

My Head Is Not Buried in the Sand

Christ Carrying the Cross

by El Greco

This work is in the public domain.

My head is not buried in the sand. I just do not know what to write.

The world is in the middle of a pandemic. The country and the world are embroiled in civil strife. George Floyd and others are being murdered and mourned. Race is an issue at the forefront of our minds. My head is not buried in the sand. I just do not know what to write.

I am not sure how I first reacted to the murder of George Floyd. I do know th...

The Notorious Tom Nook

I must agree with one of my sons. The notorious Tom Nook is the ruler of the universe. Rather, the multiverse. (Did you hear the evil laugh? Mwah ha ha!)

If you have never heard of Tom Nook, you are not playing Animal Crossing on the Nintendo Switch. (Or any other of their platforms for that matter.) But even if you are playing some version of Animal Crossing, I am going to explain just a bit.

Animal Crossing is a video game franchise that has been around for quite some time. My own near...

Becoming a Great Fisherman

I have become a great fisherman during the social distancing of 2020. No. I have not broken the ban. I just keep playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

If you are wondering how to become a great fisherman, all you need to do is press the A button when you hear the blooping sound. Do not get an itchy trigger finger or you will miss those wily fish. They nibble and nibble and finally strike. But you do not know if the bite will come on the first or the fifth strike or somewhere in between. ...

Write out of Your Malaise

I am sure that all writers feel some sort of malaise every now and then. That thought that whatever they are writing is not good enough. Or that it is subpar. Or that it is even less than mediocre. Some writers give up when they feel that. Others just keep on keeping on.

I suppose that I am a glutton for punishment. I like to hear people tell me that I ought to keep on working to get to mediocre. Even if it is a high bar to reach. But when I hear comments like that, I know one thing fo...

It Was Brilliant in My Mind

If you have ever had aspirations to be a writer, or if you are a writer, or even if you have never thought about being a writer, you have still probably had the thought that whatever idea it was that just escaped you was brilliant. At least in your own mind.

I have been writing for a long time. I daresay even as long as I can remember. Not always every day, but I have always written at least from time to time. And even before I was writing, I have had plenty of great ideas.

Okay. Everybody...

The Spa Saga

The Spa Saga is just what it says. A saga. A long story. A long story about a hot tub. I just wish it had any of those aaaaahhhhh moments in it.

I have been working to get a second-hand hot tub working. It (the hot tub) is a beautiful thing. Top of the line back in its day. But after getting power to it, I still had lots of work to do. And a lot of learning to do. And lots of words to write.

I have never had a hot tub before. (Hot tubs are called spas by the industry folks. I guess tubs...

You Smile with Your Eyes

I can tell whether you are smiling even though you are hiding behind your mask. After all, people smile with their eyes.

I am a people watcher. I always have been. Whether I am in a small, medium, or large group, I like to sit back and watch and listen. And I have always noticed that people smile with their eyes. Yes, for many smiling is a full body affair, but everybody smiles with their eyes.

It is funny to think about smiling behind masks. But everybody is wearing them these days....

They Mostly Get Social Distancing

Costco Logo
This work is in the public domain.

I was not going to write anything else about COVID-19 or social distancing or the pandemic or cabin fever. Then, I went to Costco.

I had heard that Costco was the place to shop during the pandemic of 2020 (anticipating that I might see another in my lifetime), but I was not really wanting to go there. Especially since I had no idea whether they had toilet paper there or not. (I have no real idea whether there will be another pandemic in my...