Tag Archives: childhood

Two Lives: Real and Realer (Imaginary)

Posted on February 3, 2026 by mitchteemley

My first home (as I remember it) My Real Memoir – Two Lives: Real and Realer (Imaginary) From the Very Beginning… I had two lives: real and realer (my imagination), probably because I was always alone. I was apparently daydreaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

My Life as a “Wild Indian”

Posted on January 27, 2026 by mitchteemley

Left to Right: Downey, California – Grandpa Teemley – Downey’s Apollo 11 builders – Flying toddler My Real Memoir: My Life as a “Wild Indian” First Off… I apologize for the offensive stereotype in the title. It’s not a reference … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Story Power | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

I’m Beginning at the Beginning…Again

Posted on January 20, 2026 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir: I’m Beginning at the Beginning…Again Five Years Ago… I had an idea, and I hope to have another eventually. But meanwhile, that one was so good that I’ve decided to have it again. “Ahem, and what was … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

In Praise of the Humble Hamburger

Posted on December 30, 2025 by mitchteemley

In Praise of the Humble Hamburger Note: I’m on a brief hiatus from the My Real Memoir series normally posted on Tuesdays. It will return soon. My Earliest Walk Down Hamburger Lane… Led to the world’s oldest surviving McDonald’s, located in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 86 Comments

This Is the Ultimate Comfort Food

Posted on December 18, 2025 by mitchteemley

I should write, I suppose, about traditional Christmas or Hanukkah dinners. But those take preparation. Lots of it. And most of my food memories are about SiBY (Simple-but-Yummy) dishes you can fix with minimal prep. Yes, I love roast beef … Continue reading →

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My Experiment in Becoming Human

Posted on October 27, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week I recently wrote about speaking less and saying more. In other words, focusing more on others and less on ourselves. This wasn’t sagely advice from a master practitioner, it was a personal reminder; I have a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 90 Comments

What I Learned in Summer Camp

Posted on August 11, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week In my mind, the words summer and camp are forever linked. Our local YMCA had an extensive program for teenies through teenagers, and I was hooked! Little Kids Camp was held in a pine-filled grove right … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

A Message From My Inner Child

Posted on June 25, 2025 by mitchteemley

“We always feel younger than we are. I carry inside myself my earlier faces, as a tree contains its rings. The sum of them is me. The mirror sees only my latest face, while I know all my previous ones.” … Continue reading →

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Father’s Dud?

Posted on June 20, 2024 by mitchteemley

Last Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day in my country. Some of us did, that is. Others simply haven’t had the kind of warm, wise, loving daddykins they can wax sentimental over. If that’s a little too close for comfort, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Four Haikus on Childhood

Posted on November 8, 2023 by mitchteemley

My Featured Blogger this week is Jonathan Moya of The Moya View. Film reviewer and poet Jonathan lives in Chatanooga, Tennessee “with a wonderful wife, Kristen and pomchi baby, Sharma.” He has two published poetry collections, Like No Movie I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Poetry, Quips and Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments