Published in About Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout Me — Maria Shimizu ChristensenMostly sunny to partly cloudy. Occasional thunderstorms. — I surprise people all the time. I don’t mean that I throw surprise parties or lurk behind doorways waiting to jump out creepily and unexpectedly, hoping to make people scream. Well, there was that one time… Anyway. Moving on. What I mean is that revealing some aspects of myself to…About Me3 min readAbout Me3 min read
Jan 26Member-onlyMy Very First Public SpeechGiven at a Toastmasters club meeting — I gave my first speech at a Toastmasters meeting, and it was exhilarating. After it was over. It’s easier and as hard as you think it might be, because few things in life are simple. …Toastmasters5 min readToastmasters5 min read
Jan 26Member-onlyToastmasters Is and Isn’t as Scary as You ThinkYou should join — Some people are made to get up on a stage. Their personalities, natures, talents, abilities, education, and experiences set them up for speaking success. I’m not one of those people. If you aren’t already in Toastmasters, you might not be, either. …Toastmasters3 min readToastmasters3 min read
Dec 31, 2022Member-onlyI Resolve Nothing This New YearThe joy of doing nothing — “What are you doing on your vacation?” “Nothing.” “Have any plans for New Year’s Eve?” “No, I’m not doing anything.” “Have you made a New Year’s resolution?” “Nope.” No one has asked why after hearing my replies to any of those questions, but that would be going beyond the limits…New Year4 min readNew Year4 min read
Sep 20, 2022Member-onlyHow to Make Yourself Do Something You Don’t Really Want to DoYour mileage may vary — Word placement matters, even if it only tickles our unconscious. In the title, I wrote, “Don’t Really” rather than “Really Don’t”. If you really don’t want to do something I probably can’t help. “Really don’t” creates a much stronger barrier than what I wrote. If you don’t really want to…Self Help2 min readSelf Help2 min read
Published in Fanfare·Aug 24, 2022Member-onlyMy First Time at the Emerald City Comic ConIt’s a beautiful time to be a geek — The line stretched around three full city blocks to get into the 2022 Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, and it was the most enchanting, fun, and weirdly awesome queue ever. A seemingly endless parade of geekily costumed humans passing by on one side to get to the end of…Geek5 min readGeek5 min read
Jul 1, 2022Member-onlyMundane Google Image Search Comes Up With Nazi DécorSeriously? Seriously. — In the fast-moving world of algorithm changes and customer complaints things may change by the time you read this, but an image search on Google currently has some appalling results. Apparently, Nazis have upped their SEO game. What do you think of when considering desk ornaments? Paperweights? Tiny Zen gardens…Racism2 min readRacism2 min read
Jun 28, 2022Member-onlyWhere Were You When My Husband Was Abusive?This isn’t just about me, it’s about all of us — “Good riddance” You’re better off. He’s an asshole” “I’m so glad you got out” When you finally summon the courage to leave an abusive marriage, these are the kinds of things some people tell you. Talk about too little, too late. Where were you when I was being tackled, slapped…Society3 min readSociety3 min read
Jun 27, 2022Member-onlyCan I Have Bodily Autonomy for My Birthday, Please?I can’t believe I have to ask for it — It’s my birthday today. I’m now 58 years old. Yay me! I don’t feel old, but some days I sure do feel tired. Now, more than ever. It’s not a physical thing. It’s mental and emotional. Like, how are we still dealing with this bullshit in this day and age. …Women3 min readWomen3 min read
Jun 26, 2022Member-onlySaying “White Life” Isn’t a Slip of the TongueBelieve what they say — When Senator John Cornyn tweeted a reply to Barack Obama’s statement on the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade overturn, he employed lazy, non-contextual thinking to make his remark. He meant to say that Supreme Court precedents have been overturned before, and he’s happy that it’s happened now. It came across…Racism2 min readRacism2 min read