Michael T. Miyoshi's Blog, page 42

Mediocre Renaissance Man

I want to be a better photographer. A better artist. A better renaissance man.

My wife and I went to the Bellevue Arts Festival and I saw a bunch of photographers that had some neat stuff. Their art made me want to be a better photographer. Or at least know how to do some post editing to my photos to make them shine. The other artists there made me want to be a better artist. Or at least to take chances on trying to be an artist. Sure, I still want to be a better writer. Always. But the visu...

Small Town Traffic

You would think traffic in a small town would be, well, small. But that is not the case around here.

I live in a small town and work in another small town down the road. The traffic is usually pretty good traveling in them and between them. Usually. Unfortunately, there are times when it is downright intolerable.

Part of the traffic problem in our small towns is that we are very near a sprawling metropolis. Two in reality. Seattle and Bellevue are far enough away that a visitor might think t...

If You Were the Only One

Christ Carrying the Cross
by El Greco

This work is in the public domain.

“Even if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would still have died for you.” I had a chilling and rather revolting revelation after I heard that from the pulpit one Sunday.

The point is well taken. God loves each one of us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. It was the only sacrifice that would need to be made from then on. No more burnt offerings for all those naughty things we...

Journey to the Edge of the Earth

We took a journey to the edge of the earth. Or at least what they call the northwestern most part of the contiguous United States. All I know is that it seemed like the edge of the earth.

Believe it or not, I am not a flat earther. I have been to the ocean where I have seen that the earth must curve because we cannot see past a few miles. Think about it. If the earth was flat, you ought to be able to see Japan or China on a clear day. At any rate, I know the earth is not flat because even th...

I Met a Man

(For some reason, I had the notion to write my bear story from the bear’s perspective.)

I was walking along minding my own business when I met a man. I was just doing my own thing like usual. I was taking a mid-afternoon walk to my favorite napping spot (in Olympic National Park near Sol Duc Hot Springs) when I came to the people path. Now, mama did not raise no fool. She always said, “Make sure to look both ways when crossing people paths. You never know if there might be a scary person out...

I Saw a Bear

I saw a bear in Olympic National Park! I did! I did taw a bear in Olympic National Park!

I was walking along by myself back to Sol Duc Hot Springs after a hike to Sol Duc Falls when I saw a black bear. He was going to cross my path about 50 to 60 feet in front of me. When I actually saw him, I stopped and held my breath. And after a moment or two of wondering what I was supposed to do when meeting a bear (Do I try to look big and wave things around so it will leave? No, that is for cougars....

Taking Compliments

It is difficult for me to take compliments. Especially, when they are in public. This is not false modesty. I am not looking for comments, online or in person. I just find it hard to hear people say nice things about me.

I love our Track and Field (T&F) banquets. (Ours happened quite a while ago, but I thought I would still post my thoughts.) We get to recognize the kids and their accomplishments. We get to see pictures of them competing. And we get to hear them talk about the coaches. (Whic...

Middle Grade Fiction Readers

I am trying to figure out whether readers of middle grade fiction read digital books.

I just released Sticks and Stones and Football on Amazon. It is the latest book in my series, Autobiography of a Sixth Grader. It and all but one of my books so far are only available digitally. Which is why I have been wondering if middle grade fiction readers read digital books.

I know that I am not much of a traditional writer. I just write stuff and put it out there. If people see it, great. If not, I a...

Starting Over

Sometimes I write a piece and then need to start over.

(Wait. Try again.)

Sometimes I start to write something, and then decide that I need to start over.

I have been writing for a long time. Not today, but overall. I would not say it is a career, but I have certainly enjoyed blogging and writing consistently for over a decade. (Someday, people might even read what I write.) Still, even if not that many people read what others call drivel, I want to put out a product that I can be proud of....

¡Gooooooooooooooool!

Replica World Cup Trophy
by Bic
Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Commentators can make all the difference when watching a sport. Especially, when watching the World Cup.

I have not watched tons of soccer on TV. (In fact, most of the soccer I have watched was of my kids playing the sport.) But I remember watching the World Cup as a kid on Grandma and Grandpa’s black and white TV. And I remember watching Soccer Made in Germany when I was a teenager. It was amazing to watch those World Cup games a...