New Life Order
David Himmel, Poetry David Himmel David Himmel, Poetry David Himmel

New Life Order

The wire is tight and high.
The risk is apparent.
The reward is not.

There’s a darkness that makes the bright days sulk.
There’s a gripping fear of vast opportunity choked by diminutive time.
There’s a restlessness that exhausts all inspiration.

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Dishing Out A Lesson in Politeness
David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel

Dishing Out A Lesson in Politeness

“Great!” I said, still smiling. “I’ll get that for you right away.” And then I leaned a little and let my smile fade. “And if you ever snap your fingers at any of our staff again, I will personally escort both of you out of here and you will not be welcome back again. Ever.” Both of their faces went from smug to surprised. Like they’d never been told “no” before or, more to the point, like they’d never been called out for being unnecessarily rude. I straightened up, brought my smile back and said, “Just the cheese? Anything else right now?”

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The Hubris of American Anxiety
David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel

The Hubris of American Anxiety

Anxiety is the thing that’s ripped our country apart. It has divided us, caused us to fear and hate those who think and live differently than us, and even caused us to hate those who only slightly disagree with us. It has led to panic and overreaction. And I worry that American Anxiety is only going to exacerbate the social and political divide in this country to the point that there is no coming back.

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Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of October 20, 2024
David Himmel, Post-It Wall Notes David Himmel David Himmel, Post-It Wall Notes David Himmel

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of October 20, 2024

Sometimes, life feels like you’re eating a delicious bucket of perfectly popped movie popcorn. It’s fresh, hot, buttery. Other times, it feels like you’re eating a bucket of the kernel shells. The ones that get stuck in your teeth, buried in your gums, suction cupped to the back of your throat. And everything tastes burnt.

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Revisiting the Saddest Thing to Ever Happen to You 15 Years Later
David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel

Revisiting the Saddest Thing to Ever Happen to You 15 Years Later

We shared the same boiling passion for knowledge, action, adventure, living life hard, fast, and for the sake of the story. We also shared a boiling disgust for hypocrisy, hubris, mean-spiritedness, and, at times, for ourselves. We were constantly brawling with the crazed beasts living within our psyches and our guts. We came from very different places with very different experiences, but when we arrived to one another, we found that we’d been forged in the same style and together, we’d have to do better personally, professionally, and in a way that could leave the world a better place.

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Mastering Disappointment: A Kamala Harris Love Affair
David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel

Mastering Disappointment: A Kamala Harris Love Affair

Kamala had the great benefit of a fantastic summer romance working in her favor. A short lived, white hot affair that would end before it could burn out. With about three months from candidacy to Election Day, I wouldn’t grow tired of Kamala. Neither would America. The joy she and her campaign were trafficking would carry us to a victory. Then we could settle into the day-to-day doldrums of romance. Probably fall out of love and elect someone else in 2028.

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Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of September 29, 2024
David Himmel, Post-It Wall Notes David Himmel David Himmel, Post-It Wall Notes David Himmel

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of September 29, 2024

My 2-year-old is in this phase where he points to every woman he sees on the street or on TV or in books and says, Mommy!” He does the same thing with men, exclaiming, “Daddy!” Yesterday, at the grocery store, he picked up a Star magazine with Diddy on the cover, pointed to Diddy and shouted, “Daddy!” My son doesn’t see color, wealth, or crimes against humanity. He sees only gender. To prove this theory, I will show him a photo of Rachel Maddow to see if he says, “Mommy” or “Daddy.”

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