One Thing or Another: Are We There Yet?
By Mark McNease
It’s always One Thing or Another… a lighthearted look at aging, life, and the absurdities of it all.
“Who was that masked man?”
– The Lone Ranger
I’ve learned the past year that it’s possible to forget what someone looks like without a mask, as well as to marvel at the face of someone I’ve never seen without one. In the grocery store where I work four days a week, masks have been omnipresent for over a year now, especially among those of use who work there, euphemistically called ‘associates.’
I wear a mask because I’m required to, and because I care about my community, my family, and bringing this all to some kind of end. But I don’t like it. In this case, ‘hate’ is not too strong a work. My glasses fog up. I breathe my own spittle. And I often wonder, as we enter the post-vaccination stage, how long we’ll have to keep wearing them, and how much of it is requirement and how much is conditioning. I imagine we’ll find out as states begin to eliminate mask mandates and companies follow suit. I will add, with emphasis, that not getting the flu last year was a big plus. Masks are uncomfortable and often annoying, but they have helped us minimize our contagious disease transmission to an amazing level.
One Thing or Another: Are We There Yet?
By Mark McNease
It’s always One Thing or Another… a lighthearted look at aging, life, and the absurdities of it all.
This column was always intended to be lighthearted, even in its most serious moments. Sure, I look at aging, life, and the absurdities of it all. I even ponder death now and then, since it’s pretty much the end point for all of us. Where we go after that, if we go anywhere, is not something I spend much time thinking or worrying about. I have appropriate clothes for any destination, or none at all, in case it’s especially hot.
But 2020 was so difficult, so groundbreaking, like a sledgehammer outside my bedroom window, that it stands unique among the years of my life. And now, two weeks into a new year, it’s still here! The same election we would normally have moved beyond by now, accepting it as part of the political bargain we make for living in a country where people are allowed to vote, keeps hold of us as if to prevent our escape. The frustrations of lockdowns and limited interactions and one-way grocery store aisles and the politicization of absolutely everything has us frayed within an inch of insanity. And that’s just Tuesday!
Liz Frances of Street Noise Books Joins the One Thing or Another Podcast
I was browsing the Independent Book Publishers Association website came across an interview with Liz Frances, founder of Street Noise Books. Liz was kind enough to join me on this One Thing or Another Podcast. Listen in as we talk about her background, her passion for marginalized communities, and her commitment to making noise!
Stupid Black Girls: Essays from an African American
ByA provocative collection of narrative essays with a unique point of view.
In this book a first generation American New Yorker uses her bold voice to share life experiences through the lens of race, culture, and spirituality. Exploring topics ranging from night terrors, to schizophrenia, to gentrification, to the author’s personal September 11th story. Illustrated with stunning artwork created in response to the essays, this book is a unique collection.
Spellbound: A Graphic Memoir
By Bishakh SomThe meticulous artwork of transgender artist Bishakh Som gives us the rare opportunity to see the world through another lens.
This exquisite graphic novel memoir by a transgender artist, explores the concept of identity by inviting the reader to view the author moving through life as she would have us see her, that is, as she sees herself. Framed with a candid autobiographical narrative, this book gives us the opportunity to enter into the author’s daily life and explore her thoughts on themes of gender and sexuality, memory and urbanism, love and loss.
Guest Rick Rose Talks Lockdown Playlists, Best TV Binge Bets, and My Return to The Twist Podcast
Fasten your headphones as Rick Rose and I take a look back at the month of May and a look forward to the future. We talk lockdown playlists, best recommendations for TV binging, politics, culture, and my return to co-hosting The Twist Podcast. Enjoy the YouTube edition of this, too … seeing is believing.
Enjoy the One Thing or Another Podcast on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify iHeart Radio, SoundCloud and at OneThingOrAnotherPodast.com
Copyright MadeMarkPublishing
Terri Schlichenmeyer Talks the Book Life
Listen in as I have a chat with book reviewer Terri Schlichenmeyer, aka The Bookworm, about her life, her journey, and her job as a syndicated book reviewer.
Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 15,000 books.Enjoy the One Thing or Another Podcast on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify iHeart Radio, SoundCloud and at OneThingOrAnotherPodast.com
Guest Rick Rose Joins the One Thing or Another Podcast for Our April Catch Up
Fasten your headphones as Rick Rose and I take a look back at April and a look forward to the future. We talk projects new and old, face mask fashions, odd news, and Facebook realness. NOTE: The video I mention had sync problems, so it’s not available. Maybe next time! – MarkEnjoy the One Thing or Another Podcast on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify iHeart Radio, SoundCloud and at OneThingOrAnotherPodast.com
Copyright MadeMarkPublishing
One Thing or Another: The Old Normal
By Mark McNeaseIt’s always One Thing or Another… a lighthearted look at aging, life, and the absurdities of it all.
I believe we will look back on this time, perhaps calling it The Great Pandemic of 2020, or something equally grand to match a cataclysm of such scale, and view it as a before-and-after moment in our lives. We have those throughout our journeys on Earth, when the paths we’re on are disturbed by eruptions or implosions, or deaths that leave us without parts of ourselves: a parent abandons us to the whims of human existence, a loved one says goodbye for the last time, or doesn’t manage to say anything at all before a final breath.
Molly DeVoss, Cat Behaviorist, Returns to the One Thing or Another Podcast
Cat behaviorist Molly DeVoss returns to the podcast this week to talk about the effects of stay-at-home orders and physical distancing on animals and shelters across the country. We also revisit some advice on adjusting cat behaviors and making sure our homes are well-adjusted for every member of our family, those of us with two legs and those of us with four.
Molly DeVoss, Cat BehavioristBe sure to check out her organization, Cat Behavior Solutions (catbehaviorsolutions.org), and consider making a donation when you stop by.