“When I was in the first grade and living in Edmond, Oklahoma, I would ride my bike to the local five-and-dime to buy ammo. They kept it in a glass case that had to be unlocked by an employee, you know, for security purposes. Six years old. Alone. Riding my bike to the store to buy Daisy BBs for my slingshot. This was fine.”

#Writing #Memoir #LMNO #Medium

https://medium.com/ellemeno/all-on-my-own-5aedc75c691

He stands confidently, weight firmly on his back foot, posture relaxed and steady. His jacket and vest are unbuttoned to reveal a tie tucked into his shirt. He looks away as if he sees something amusing, but it’s clear he knows he’s being photographed.

It’s unclear what he’s been charged with from the picture, but it’s the winter of 1923 in New South Wales, Australia.

His name is W. Cahill. This is his mug shot.

#Crime #Journalism #History #LMNO #MugShot

https://medium.com/ellemeno/the-lost-art-of-shooting-criminals-193e980849e7

“I would like to be the sort of person who has the need for gear, but I have no interest in most activities that require such a thing. It’s like wanting to be a cowboy but having no interest in shoveling manure or digging fence posts. You just want the hat and the saddle — maybe the six-shooter.”

#Writing #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/brown-paper-packages-tied-up-with-string-babfa86705a6

Not your typical writing magazine, because it’s not about writing. It’s about the lives of writers. Stories of love and loss, adventure and discovery. The world as seen through the eyes of a writer, twisted though it may be.

Welcome to Ellemeno.

#Writing #Writers #Medium #MediumWriters #LMNO

medium.com/ellemeno

For anyone who missed my Medium Day talk, the video hasn’t been publicly released just yet, but you can read the written version here. Other than getting to hear me speak out loud (not that great a thrill), you aren’t missing anything by reading it. It’s actually better.

#Medium #MediumDay #LMNO #Writing

https://medium.com/ellemeno/writing-the-bones-9e7531818869

“What they crave is to be understood. They cannot be heard for they know not how to define and explain themselves. What they’re often given for compensation is freedom. What they secretly crave is affection. What they need is guidance. What they miss is to be held and hugged. Many of my students are seldom told they’re loved. But this isn’t a youth problem. It is a human problem.”
— @NatashaMH

#Writing #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/tattooed-for-life-70cc829d2ff7

Hope is not a wish. It’s not magical thinking or an impossible dream. Hope is optimism that a positive outcome is possible regardless of the circumstances. I’m a cynic by nature, skeptical of human endeavors over our historical penchant for evil, but a fervent romantic, and a sucker for the resilience of the human spirit. Hope is my faith, as it is also my delusion.

#Writing #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/my-lifelong-obsession-with-hope-552170458b22

“I grew up alongside the children of pacifists, though I was not one myself, and if we’re being honest, neither were they. At least not, then. Despite what some think, human beings are not pacifists by nature. We are not indoctrinated into the society of warring nations, but are born into it. Without some belief system or cultural constraints, we will eventually fight over everything of consequence: land, food, water, wealth, and women.”

#Memoir #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/the-hero-in-me-8b40a1da6574

“Fuck my life”, I muttered beneath my breath, looking at the motley crew in front of me.

We sat on stage in a circle, more than two meters apart from each other, as if afraid someone brought a virus. The kids were 18 and 19-years-old. Everyone looked awkward and avoided looking at each other. The blind leading the blind, I thought.

#Writing #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/the-stage-is-yours-bf2ecbb1cf43

We are currently looking for fresh voices to promote. People with an interesting take on life, starting with their own, and who have mastered the craft of storytelling. We are actively looking for stories on travel, personal essays, memoir, lifestyle, and culture. This is an opportunity to tell the world about your life and your individual take on the world. Where have you been? What have you seen? What have you learned? Talk to us.

#Writing #Writers #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/become-a-contributing-writer-at-ellemeno-magazine-1ad095beb9d0

#LMNO #Medium

“One of the joys of having a writer’s mind is that when you’re conscious and present, everything in your life — good, bad, or indifferent — becomes raw material for endless observations, conclusions, and stories. There are downsides to paying attention to everything, of course, as there is no way to separate the good from the bad. Like trying to get a sip of water from a firehose hitting you directly in the face.”

#Writing #Memoir #Philosophy #LMNO #Medium

https://medium.com/ellemeno/collecting-polaroids-eb9c572027ce

I urge you to take a minute and check out Ellemeno on @medium. A unique collection of compelling stories by a diverse group of gifted writers. Original, authentic, and always memorable.

Featuring “A Genius In The Attic” by yours truly.

(Please boost)

#Writing #Journalism #Storytelling #LMNO #MediumWriters #Medium

https://medium.com/ellemeno/a-genius-in-the-attic-e1a30cfa19f7

I urge you to take a minute and check out Ellemeno on @medium. A unique collection of compelling stories by a diverse group of gifted writers. Original, authentic, and always memorable.

Featuring “Cut Adrift and Distraught as the Sun Came Up Today” by Scott-Ryan Abt

(Please boost)

#Writing #Journalism #Storytelling #LMNO #MediumWriters #Medium

medium.com/ellemeno

“When I was in the fourth grade, we had a genius who lived in my closet and smelled strongly of garlic. He lived on the third floor, slept at odd hours of the day, and kept his mail in our cereal cabinet. It’s a credit to my absolute belief in the normalcy of my family that I didn’t find this strange in the least.”

#Writing #Memoir #Medium #LMNO

I had always understood that the best possible job would be the one where I got paid to do what I loved, that if I could only find a career path that allowed me to earn a living while participating in my hobby or passion, I’d be in heaven. But as anyone who has ever tried to create heaven on earth, the results can sometimes be less than optimal.

#Writing #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/when-writing-becomes-just-another-job-c140cbcaa1c2

If I wrote Bob as a character in a novel, I don’t think anyone would believe he was real. He would come off sounding like a mythical character, a leprechaun, or another magical creature. A mischievous imp, too smart to work that hard and too hardworking to sit still, but somehow with plenty of free time to do as he pleases. While it’s true I romanticize a bit of his life, I maintain that he is a unique and tremendous work of art.

#Memoir #Writing #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/the-tao-of-boob-2ed769f81189

I seem to have two gears: Quiet indifference or apoplectic rage. Not exactly what I consider a healthy approach to life. Even back when I used to get into physical altercations with people, I was never one to talk shit in the face of someone. The rules of street fighting dictate that you say as little as possible, you hit first, hard, and fast, and you don’t quit until your opponent relents or stops moving.

#Life #Culture #Writing #Philosophy #Medium #LMNO

https://medium.com/ellemeno/an-inadvertent-pacifists-relentless-pursuit-of-peace-d9d3b3044c40

Ellemeno (LMNO): A Medium publication.

For writers, by writers. A journal of life, culture, philosophy, religion, travel, politics, and occasionally wisdom. Expand your world. Click and follow us today. medium.com/ellemeno

#Writing #Writers #WritingCommunity #Medium #LMNO

Ellemeno (LMNO): A Medium publication. For writers, by writers. A journal of life, culture, philosophy, religion, travel, politics, and occasionally wisdom. Expand your world. Click and follow us today.

https://medium.com/ellemeno

#Writing #Writers #WritingCommunity #Medium #LMNO