tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-343104722024-03-07T00:24:15.078-06:00The Less I KnowWhat amazes me the most about the world around me is how many people seem to know so much more than I do, and yet so much of what we do is so senseless. The more I learn, the less I know. Rumor has it that Mark Twain kept a barrel in his office where he threw random, unused pieces of writing. This is my barrel.Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-47712863870953625692020-12-23T17:56:00.006-06:002020-12-23T18:02:15.684-06:00Holiday Greetings 2020 - Differently Different It's Christmas Eve Eve and after 58 consecutive yules spent with my immediate family this year I am, like many of you, sticking close to my logistical home for the holidays. Over the past decade I have been somewhat nomadic, moving away from my children to go to grad school and then to an unexpected extended adventure here in NE Wisconsin. It is a life filled with blessings and joy, Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-55351440215925450802020-08-28T21:21:00.004-05:002020-08-28T21:29:30.556-05:00Toward A Body PoliticIt's been a tough week. Events in Kenosha, WI, have piled on top of a year of increasing economic inequity and racial unrest. The political environment has deteriorated beyond just tribal conflicts to the point where it feels like we are on the precipice of legitimate open civil conflict. I am constantly met with voices that seem to have no interest in finding a middle ground. It is both Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-34533480967440133422017-08-04T15:48:00.002-05:002017-08-04T15:48:53.358-05:00How Do You Put Your Pants On?I wrote the post below in the summer of 2015 while I was doing a stint as Assistant Director at The Guthrie. I post it today as I consider the question of timing and competency from a slightly different perspective.
Today I signed the papers to clear the way for the sale of my property in Robbinsdale, MN, next Friday. The Monday after I will be purchasing The Forst Inn in Tisch Mills, WI. It Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-63361063841407071252017-07-01T09:27:00.000-05:002017-07-01T09:37:15.815-05:00This is my son...from Wisconsin.It's been roughly 1,000 days since I last posted. Well, closer to 1,200. That's a lot of days. Those days have contained a steady stream of potentially life changing experiences. I suppose the highlight would be finishing my MBA in theatre, though getting a second DUI and working through my relationship with alcohol was not an insignificant part of the whole. A journey is rarely a straight line.
Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-61760156946049348552014-08-17T11:14:00.001-05:002014-08-17T18:36:45.503-05:00Upon Further ReflectionWhen I was about ten I read the play, Inherit the Wind, and fell in love with it. At 12 I was passing out campaign literature for Hubert Humphrey in southern NJ. I don't know that I understand either thing at more than an intuitive level. I have largely lived my life at an intuitive level, despite a capacity to communicate and rationalize. I like to think that I am a Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-90457087053935096382014-08-13T21:29:00.000-05:002014-08-14T08:53:53.487-05:00Oh, God. I'm provincial.Here's a bit of breaking news for you. Greek plays work better in Greek. French plays work better in French.
It's amazing how much of life is spent learning the obvious. There is what we know, and then there is what we actually understand. They are not the same. So I apologize in advance for the painful obviousness of the following thoughts. The fact that Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-17979948626909391402014-04-11T22:18:00.001-05:002014-04-11T22:18:39.027-05:00CyclesAfter a couple month hiatus while I was busily attending to the realities of being in graduate school and living the life fantastic I have been musing of late on the cycles of life that I have observed. This began a few weeks ago when the extensive winter wonderland that is the upper midwest this year was finally brought to heel by warming winds and intensifying sunlight. The most Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-50225650857201831122014-01-08T07:28:00.000-06:002014-01-08T07:51:19.793-06:00Traveling in MoroccoThis is based on a very short trip to Morocco, so this in no way purports to be a knowledgeable recommendation, but on the other hand, I got really lucky with my lodging in both Tangier and Fez, so there are a few things here that may be useful to anyone planning a journey. If you are concerned about street hustlers, take a peek at my blog entry on my experience with this as well as some Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-63695603789310753532014-01-02T04:56:00.001-06:002014-01-02T05:15:42.083-06:00Happy New Year 2014...From Fez Morocco
Happy New Year!
New Year's in Fez is a closed door...here are a few thoughts from yesterday as I left Fez.
I just returned from the bathroom here
on the train from Fez to Tangier, where I discovered that the mechanics of the
facilities are simplified to the level of a straight pipe leading down from the
stool and emptying onto the tracks below.
It took me a moment to process such a Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-74112764630289149282013-12-31T03:51:00.001-06:002013-12-31T03:51:37.730-06:00Good to Escape the Frigid NorthLest you think that this trip is all struggle and angst, I should put a little energy into talking about the fun elements!
Let us start with the weather. Truthfully, the whole reason I am in Morocco is because I kept looking for a warmer place to visit after I landed in Madrid. Madrid was the primary destination as it is in Southern Europe (warmer) and I have a former student Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-34462766667359865252013-12-30T15:07:00.000-06:002013-12-31T07:25:00.223-06:00Friendly is Better Than NotI'm going to leave the following post up as a cautionary tale. To be honest, I am somewhat chagrined that I even got to a place of such paranoia when what I should have been doing was staying open to the world. So it goes! Suffice to say that I went out for a lovely walk in and around the Medina this morning and chatted with folks, both tourists and locals, and enjoyed Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-76161173369818875452013-12-30T04:43:00.000-06:002013-12-31T07:26:36.381-06:00Surviving the Moroccan ConThe title is little unfair in that it seems to imply that Morocco is unique in its efforts to separate the naive from their hard earned cash. Nothing could be further from the truth. Still, this is the first place where I have encountered an entire industry that is so complete and blazon in its dedication to the task. No, that's not true either. The difference lies more inMichael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-64098097068514291562013-12-29T14:30:00.002-06:002013-12-29T14:30:52.477-06:004,528 Miles from HomeAnd now we'll dispense with the random contemplation of life's little questions and return to straight up travel journaling. Lots of boring logistics to follow!
As the crow flies, I am 4,528 miles from home experiencing that most desirable of traveling moments, the exquisite relief when you are comfortable and safe after a long period of uncertainty and energetic exertions. CurrentlyMichael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-48377816862750914462013-12-24T10:00:00.000-06:002013-12-24T10:11:24.547-06:00The Mask You Live In...theatre, work, play, friends, lovers, parenting, not parenting, poker, golf, weather, alcohol, dancing, writing, and more...
So far I feel like I've talked a bit about several of these of late. The past couple of days has been preoccupied with thinking about thinking about preparing for departure, as I am leaving for Spain in about 72 hours. I need to gather some books to read while Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-70667557609569043082013-12-20T14:30:00.000-06:002013-12-20T14:30:10.756-06:00EcclesiastesI am perfect,
I am broken beyond redemption.
I have so much wisdom that when the world presents itself to me I have no choice but to see it whole and synthesize its totality in ways that are so sublime that they make sublime blush in the pure joy of the pure joy,
I am without understanding.
I am complete within myself,
I am a need to be loved and cared for and brought within arms or folds of someMichael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-73703251456108812332013-12-20T13:13:00.001-06:002013-12-20T13:13:35.718-06:00Idle and Useless Thoughts...theatre, work, play, friends, lovers, parenting, not parenting, poker, golf, weather, alcohol, dancing, writing, and more...
These were the promised topics on Monday. I covered dancing on Tuesday. Didn't write yesterday. That seems to leave a lot of uncovered ground. So it's Friday and I'm pondering the world once again from the comfort of my living room. The cat is fed. &Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-44839033622742766882013-12-18T08:59:00.001-06:002013-12-18T08:59:12.938-06:00On Conquering Performance Anxiety...When I get in front of a group and try to do something I've memorized, I generate enough nervous energy to light up most of Manhattan. It's a bit frustrating, as I fancy myself someone who has a bit of stage presence and could be a decent performer if I could just relax and let it happen. One of the goals of the MFA experience is to develop some skills as an actor and also to get to aMichael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-1986197748986948192013-12-17T12:19:00.000-06:002013-12-17T14:51:18.890-06:00There is More Than One Way to Dance...A thing that many other people know about me but which I have only now accepted as truth is that I can't dance. I like to dance and in my youth I did some dancing, which I am sure was awkward as hell. Frankly, I'm pretty much physically awkward all the way around. This is not to say that I'm not coordinated, but rather that I wear that awareness of being seen so tightly around Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-92032816023603461482013-12-16T12:11:00.001-06:002013-12-16T12:20:28.181-06:00The Art of Making DecisionsGreetings World!
It's been a little under four months since my last post, which represents the time spent completing one semester of graduate studies on my MFA in Directing. Lots to report, lots to think about.
This morning what I'm thinking about is the whole idea of decision making. It's easy to say, "well, that was a bad (or good) decision." Yet, I am becoming more aware ofMichael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-1383965419213921992013-08-27T20:56:00.001-05:002013-08-27T20:56:21.117-05:00On VulnerabilityOn Sunday, as I was driving somewhere (the car is when I have time to access the world through MPR on the radio) I was listening to an evocative program on the power of learning from mistakes, and there was a selection from Brene Brown exploring the idea of vulnerability and shame. The idea of vulnerability is one that has been rattling around in my head this summer as I have been Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-63457321126433936192013-08-07T10:23:00.000-05:002013-08-07T10:23:21.010-05:00There Are A Lot of Trees Out ThereI have a friend who is a science teacher, and with whom I play golf regularly. He will point out the various species of trees that we encounter, despite my complete inability to retain the information he is so graciously imparting. I suppose this works out for him, as he is able to tell me the same thing over and over again and I happily treat it like new information. He seems Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-8133882916713675612013-08-04T22:26:00.001-05:002013-08-04T22:26:13.796-05:00Home Again, Home Again?It's Sunday night, and I'm sitting in my townhouse in St. Peter, MN, surrounded by boxes and furniture which has been placed exactly where it was set when we descended on this property with my stuff back on July 6th. I had imagined that I would be arriving a week or so later in August, but now that I'm here and my anxiety level vis-a-vis unpacking and arranging this transition is in full Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-82875713265682861172013-08-01T13:07:00.000-05:002013-08-01T13:11:32.512-05:00Blasting Through Washington and Oregon
Oddities on the Seattle Waterfront
Although it isn't news to anyone who knows me, I am a fashion fail. In part this comes from being both oblivious to many things and colorblind in ways that challenge my clothing selection process...but perhaps my greatest sin is a determined preference to wear socks with my Tevas. My sense is that this is not completely out of bounds when done Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-82029823833625662332013-07-30T19:54:00.002-05:002013-07-30T19:54:39.741-05:00Through the Valley of Death
I think in the entire time I was on the southeast corner of Vancouver Island the temperature never got out of the range between 59 and 67 degrees. The cool breeze from the ocean and the deep forest shade seem to do a remarkably good job of constraining the temperatures here. It was super comfortably cool when I went to bed last night in the French Beach Campground, and my body heat Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34310472.post-74403251275847566032013-07-30T16:43:00.000-05:002013-07-30T16:43:11.086-05:00Random Thoughts Over Lunch on Vancouver Island
Lunch yesterday was
on the sunny deck of the Port Renfrew Hotel, where I enjoyed a grilled ham and
cheese sandwich along with a robust turkey soup. The soup started out with lots of ingredients
and a healthy broth, but a dearth of seasoning, which I rectified with fresh
ground pepper. Situated immediately in
front of the deck was a small marina connected to the hotel opening to Michael Sheekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00106520947878095283noreply@blogger.com0