I’ve always hated running. It’s a reasonable hatred, I think. When I was younger, I had a bunch of health problems, including asthma, which made running a truly painful experience. Every time I ran, my lungs felt like they were being set on fire and ripped out of my chest, I was immediately struck with … More I ran until I cried.
I read the first chapter of a self-help book yesterday and it shattered my view of the world. Now, I’ve read plenty of self-help books in my day. It’s a hobby of mine, I suppose. Books on being a better writer, musician, building confidence, charisma, how to have better conversations, study more effectively. The list … More I’m a recovering ‘nice guy’.
I’m terrified of flying but it doesn’t matter. I sat on the plane as it rolled around the airport through the thin, misty Portland rain. As the plane picked up speed and forced the rain to hit the windows harder, I felt the familiar sensation of gut-wrenching, out-of-control terror flicker to life inside me. It … More Airplanes, Loneliness, Heartbreak and Eye Contact.
It was dark when I woke up this morning. It’s always dark when I wake up. Lately, though, it’s been cold, too. I wear long fleece pants and a big, fluffy robe. I put on my warm slippers and check if I can see my breath as I slowly exhale. I turn the heater on … More Quiet, lonely mornings – My daily ritual.
I’ve been feeling a bit lost. It was bound to happen, I suppose. I’m halfway through my four-year medical school adventure and it’s been almost eight years since I first made the life altering decision to become a doctor. Since that cool November evening when I was lying on my back with my arms behind … More Don’t forget about your dreams – My weekend in San Francisco.
Originally posted on James is Trying:
It was a Friday. September 30, 2011, to be exact. I had just finished my last class for the week. I was about to go to my girlfriend’s house to help her pack. We were officially moving in together. But there was some puppy love drama going on. We’d…
A while back, I got dumped by a girl. We’d been dating for almost three years. I was devastated. I knew I had to break the news to my parents at some point, so I called them up, took a deep breath and dropped the bomb on them. My mom sounded a bit distracted, like … More The beauty of finding the ugly.
I slammed the front door as I left. The lock on my door is kind of broken, so every time I leave I have to slam it or it won’t close all the way. Then someone would most likely break-in and be disappointed when they found no trace of anything of value, besides my Mom’s … More I saw a girl fall. (a fictional short story)
I recently wrote about my views on quitting, but it appears that I have more to say about it. In an effort to allow all of my thoughts to come out however they want, I sat down and typed. There are some thematic redundancies and similarities to the other story, but I thought someone might … More I almost never learned to play guitar because of Yoda.
When I was in the fourth grade, I wanted to try playing basketball. My parents signed me up for a league. At the time, I was somewhere around four feet tall and about 80 pounds. That’s the nice way of saying that I was absolutely terrible at basketball. I remember one particular practice where I … More How ‘Under the Sea’ showed me that I’m not a quitter.
James is Trying 