stephenschrum

Skydiving

What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail. There are few guarantees in this life. They say Death and Taxes are the main ones, and you can finagle the latter depending on where you live. Cheating Death is a little more difficult. Since I’m not an extreme risk-taker, skydiving has neverContinue reading “Skydiving”

Time Well Spent

What is your favorite hobby or pastime? Hobbies change over the years. I’ve often been inspired by something and then pursued it for awhile before moving on to something else. I don’t think that indicates a lack of attention span or sticktoitiveness, but rather an endless curiosity. Of course, on the downside, it does remindContinue reading “Time Well Spent”

Medium Awesome

Who are your favorite artists? My title comes from an entry on an audition form a few years ago. A student, attempting to describe his proficiency at dance, listed his skill level as: “medium awesome.” As for the prompt, my first response was so non-artistic. “Which medium?” I thought. And then realized that that’s theContinue reading “Medium Awesome”

Defined by Things

What would you do if you lost all your possessions? We define ourselves in many and myriad ways. One way we define ourselves is through our friends. Who we attract and associate with helps us determine who we are and who we think we are (or want to be). When a friendship is lost weContinue reading “Defined by Things”

Day Nine: Bathing in Stonehenge

Actually, the Roman baths in Bath were another highlight of the trip. Time-traveling 2000 years and walking on the same stones as the ancients Romans is pretty cool. Of course, I had to snap an ironic photo of the site. We then ventured to Stonehenge. I guess I was expecting them to be…bigger? Or wereContinue reading “Day Nine: Bathing in Stonehenge”

Day Eight: The Pain! The Pain!

My title echoes two things: Dr. Smith on the 1960s TV series Lost in Space who was always melodramatically aggrieved and would demonstrate it by saying, “Oh, the pain! The Pain!” The second echo comes from the Ayreon album, The Human Equation, following the mental workings of a comatose man after a car crash. TheContinue reading “Day Eight: The Pain! The Pain!”

Uh, Oh, Computer?

Your life without a computer: what does it look like? My computer/iPad/iPhone/and now Apple Watch are the center of my digital life. But, let’s be honest: they are the center of my life, period. Everything I do is on or through these devices. This is especially true of my creative life. I occasionally jot downContinue reading “Uh, Oh, Computer?”

Another Skill

What skill would you like to learn? I’m at the point in my life where I already have a set of honed skills, and adding to it seems unlikely. What’s that rule—10,000 hours of practice to master something new? I’m not sure I have that dedication, patience, or even time to invest in a newContinue reading “Another Skill”

Day Seven: Crystal Clear

So here’s a confusing day for me, as determined by the people who put the tour stops together. One stop: Kilkenny Castle, which was generally interesting, being a medieval castle that is still standing despite everyone constantly attacking everyone else; so, a good choice. Another stop: Waterford Crystal, which was more interesting than I thoughtContinue reading “Day Seven: Crystal Clear”

Day Six: Dublin, Ireland

I enjoyed Dublin and consider it one of the three best stops along the way (Edinburgh and Stonehenge being the others). Part of the enjoyment came from the city and attractions, part of it from hanging out with a couple, John and Joan from Australia, and the remainder from the entertaining cabaret show in theContinue reading “Day Six: Dublin, Ireland”