MICHAEL O’BRIEN mjobrien@tamu.edu “I'm not a writer, I have written some technical reports, lots of business documents, both as part of my life as an architect and teacher, but I don't write as writers do. “I respect good writing, Eliott's Four Quartets is in my mind most days, its admonition from "East Coker" to do the things you've never done to do the thing you've dreamed of is something I think of regularly. But I know Eliott, like most writers works with a discipline, and a deep knowledge of language and its simultaneous accuracy and vaugness to make points that have the potential to be one thing and another. Its quite amazing. Mom used to read "The Cremation of Sam McGee" to us every now and then, I remember being amazed at how much it seemed like a story, a poem, and a song all at once. That struck me as the work of a writer. “My writing, The Journey to the American West is simply a series of short notes about life all around triggered by memories, news, and random events like watching someone hold a door open for a stranger. I write mostly to keep my sisters in the midwest informed that I have not been eaten by snakes, run over by monster trucks, or perished while walking across the vast parking deserts while here in Texas. That's about all there is to it, I sometimes get a bit lost in what I write, not knowing how to get from where I am in a story to where a storyteller needs to be but somehow I find a way to end the writing. “Other people have found the blog (http://mjobrien.com/blog/) too, students who've enjoyed memories of teachers who've passed on and share their own stories, loved ones who appreciate seeing the impact of their recently passed on life all around them, and others here in Texas and around the world who read the blog for who knows what reason. “I've slowed down on my writing a bit, work gets busy this time of year and its hard to find time to reflect. “But with John's encouragement I'll keep at it!” MY ESSAYS 1 On Pride and Love 2 Belated Blog from Bishop-Favro 3 Notes on Turning 60 4 One Less Pillar 5 Father’s Day 6 Vacationing and Home 7 Conversation below the Astral Plane 8 Seams 9 Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say 10 Fall Is on the Horizon 11 Thinking Inside the Box 12 Life Story 13 The New Year 14 Spring and Such 15 Spring 16 Overhaulin 17 Yesterday’s Painting 18 How Does It Happen? 19 Just Saying 20 Thinking of Sleep 21 Friday 22 Creative Motherhood: Remembering Creative Motherhood 23 The Hero Season 24 ...Without Saying Goodbye 25 Losing a Companion 26 Resolving and Relevance 27 Retiring Partners 28 The Tablet of Your Heart 29 No Day Like Today 30 Sunrise and Liturgical Axis: Memory and Holiday 31 The Last Lecture 32 Mr. Greer 33 When You Get to the Fork in the Road...Take It 34 Life Comes to Brook Hollow 35 two eggs over easy 36 Christmastime Is Here 37 Lyrics 38 Life, Lives, and Living 39 the shortest day...the longest night 40 ...People Come into Our Lives... 41 Wanting to Be There 42 Long Shadows and Fire 43 Racing the Sun 44 Heroes and Angels 45 Fall Husks 46 A New School Year 47 A Place for Eternity 48 Suite for Cello No. 1 in G Major 49 Another New School Year 50 Daybreak 51 Remembering 52 Attics and Birdcalls 53 Eight Years Ago This Morning I Went Home Sick 54 Talisman 55 Mid-Spring and Memories 56 A Few Rememberances of Emily 57 Just Sayings 58 Shells and Such 59 Pitchers and Catchers 60 Friday 61 Remembering Lonnie

MICHAEL O’BRIEN

“

I'm not a writer, I have written some technical reports, lots of business documents, both as part of my life as an architect and teacher, but I don't write as writers do.

“I respect good writing, Eliott's Four Quartets is in my mind most days, its admonition from "East Coker" to do the things you've never done to do the thing you've dreamed of is something I think of regularly. But I know Eliott, like most writers works with a discipline, and a deep knowledge of language and its simultaneous accuracy and vaugness to make points that have the potential to be one thing and another. Its quite amazing. Mom used to read "The Cremation of Sam McGee" to us every now and then, I remember being amazed at how much it seemed like a story, a poem, and a song all at once. That struck me as the work of a writer.

“My writing, The Journey to the American West is simply a series of short notes about life all around triggered by memories, news, and random events like watching someone hold a door open for a stranger. I write mostly to keep my sisters in the midwest informed that I have not been eaten by snakes, run over by monster trucks, or perished while walking across the vast parking deserts while here in Texas. That's about all there is to it, I sometimes get a bit lost in what I write, not knowing how to get from where I am in a story to where a storyteller needs to be but somehow I find a way to end the writing.

“Other people have found the blog (http://mjobrien.com/blog/) too, students who've enjoyed memories of teachers who've passed on and share their own stories, loved ones who appreciate seeing the impact of their recently passed on life all around them, and others here in Texas and around the world who read the blog for who knows what reason.

“I've slowed down on my writing a bit, work gets busy this time of year and its hard to find time to reflect.

“But with John's encouragement I'll keep at it!”

MY ESSAYS

1 On Pride and Love

2 Belated Blog from Bishop-Favro

3 Notes on Turning 60

4 One Less Pillar

5 Father’s Day

6 Vacationing and Home

7 Conversation below the Astral Plane

8 Seams

9 Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say