Jim Stitzel
Jack-of-All-Trades, Master of WordsExcerpts from Life
Christmas Cheerless
I'm sitting here, cup of coffee in hand -- slowly cooling -- Christmas music playing in the background on my Alexa Echo device. My kids are playing Minecraft, begging for my attention every few minutes to show me something new they've built or some new thing their...
Panic
Every day this week has been a battle. The panic I feel inside has been progressive, starting with mild anxiety on Monday and progressing steadily toward a panic attack that lasted all afternoon and into the evening Thursday. It's a battle with no winners, only a...
Challenges, and a Year to Remember
To say that 2020 has been a challenging year would be an understatement of epic proportions. The rise of COVID-19 has turned the year into one that no one is likely to forget anytime soon. It has upset the status quo of the entire world and left so many of us bereft...
Fiction
The Empress
She sits upon a throne formed from an oak tree. Its branches reach far up and away above her head. She wears a crown of flowers and vines, woven intricately together and placed delicately on her brow. Her robes are the leaves of the forest. Her feet are bare,...
The High Priestess
She is the queen of her temple, the holy guardian of her sacred sanctuary. She is dressed in scarlet satin and adorned with an array of finery befitting her station. The people come to her for guidance, and she is only too happy to provide. She consults with the stars...
The Magician
He stands upon the stage, waving his hands in the air, performing all sorts of magical illusions. But are they illusions in truth? Or is he creating actual magic out of thin air? His audience is rapt, oohing and ahhing at all the right places in his act. He pulls a...