Monthly Archives: February 2016

For Those Who Would be King

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

In February of 2010 President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica attended his last summit as sitting president. For those of you who don’t know President Arias, he is a two time president of Costa Rica. The first time was in … Continue reading →

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Hemmingway and the Huge Hole

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

Do you ever wonder if Hemmingway would have blogged? I don’t know why I thought of that today. I was sitting in front of the Arizona Crater National Park – a huge hole in the ground result of a massive … Continue reading →

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Life is Like a Wave

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

A dog barks a few houses over. On the path behind the wall a jogger pounds out her rhythmic pace; it’s almost musical. A bird chirps; high above an airplane draws a white line across the brilliant turquoise of the … Continue reading →

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I Write This for You

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

We don’t smile that much to each other anymore, my wife and I. Maybe it’s the toll of too many moves; of too many fights. Of too many 6 am mornings since our little man was born. They never tell … Continue reading →

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We Did This, We Humans

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

This morning I went to the top of South Mountain. I had to show my son where the aliens landed each night. The path winds to and fro, but is paved and has become a popular place where thousands come … Continue reading →

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Jerome and the Djinn

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

In Timbuktu they are called djinn. Sometimes its poltergeist, sometimes demons and sometimes ghosts. What are they? Are they spirits of the dead, who cannot find rest? Are they demons cast from the halls of heaven? Are they beings made … Continue reading →

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The Aliens of South Mountain

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

My granddaddy first told me about the aliens. The drive from Sky Harbor international airport to the base of South Mountain, where my grandpa lived, is not long. We had returned from a time in foreign lands, and had been … Continue reading →

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Nothing is Written Beforehand

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

“Hey man, give me some coins so I can get the f&*# out of here.” I’d stopped to get gas in Gallup. Big mistake. While there are places in America that are magical, there are also others that remind us … Continue reading →

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Something Old, Something Familiar

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

Why do we go somewhere new to marvel in the old? I’m on a road trip across the American southwest. The desert – my desert. I guess I’m looking for a place to rest my spirit, to soothe a troubled … Continue reading →

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Hunger: A Venezuela Story

Posted on February 6, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

Hunger. Not the kind when people say “man I’m famished” after pulling an all-nighter, or adolescent boys who say “I’m starved” as they rifle through the refrigerator in the afternoon. But real hunger, like the kind that Yeonmi Park describes … Continue reading →

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