Tag Archives: My Real Memoir

How I Accidentally Became a Buddhist

Posted on July 8, 2025 by mitchteemley

Illustration by Jenn Wei My Real Memoir I had time again. Which was bad. Time was my enemy. Having time meant constantly obsessing over controlling my thoughts. I’d felt almost normal during rehearsals for my musical Adam and Eve. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

My Hunger for an Abiding Love

Posted on July 1, 2025 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir Monday. Everyone wanted to know the name of “the lady from Brooklyn” who’d hijacked the opening of my play the previous weekend. She’d pulled a prop door over on herself. Screamed. Run out of the theatre. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

Mocking the Monster That Haunted Me

Posted on June 24, 2025 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir It had been a hard summer, the hardest of my life. The monster Anxiety followed me wherever I went. Still, my bedroom window let the sun in, along with a dozen sparrows. And my flirtations with faith … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Entertainment and Popular Culture, Humor, Memoir, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Searching for the Real Me

Posted on June 17, 2025 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir Whatever I might become, after my meltdown there was no going back to who I’d been. My first year as a grad student had ended. I’d taken off like Lindberg and crashed like the Hindenburg. And now … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

My Tiny Harbinger of Hope

Posted on June 10, 2025 by mitchteemley

Photo by Vanburn Gonsalves My Real Memoir So this was who I really was. Neuroscientists say the prefrontal cortex, that “third eye” behind our frown lines, finishes developing in our mid-twenties. The results can be disastrous. Some people completely lose their … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 57 Comments

Moving On With My Broken Life

Posted on June 3, 2025 by mitchteemley

Back Bay, Newport Beach, California My Real Memoir Ten-year-old me had loved gliding down the street while standing on his bicycle seat. And twenty-year-old me had relished climbing over guard rails and sitting on the edges of tall buildings. I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Finding Peace Amid the Storm

Posted on May 27, 2025 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir I’d awakened, badly hungover, at three in the morning, and begun thinking, “What if I go insane?” In the past, the notion would have been fleeting. But not this time. The more I thought about it, the more … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 58 Comments

The Storm That Had No End

Posted on May 20, 2025 by mitchteemley

Trigger warning: This post deals with anxiety. Title notwithstanding, the storm did eventually pass. My Real Memoir Rehearsals began immediately after my previous show. I’d loved playing a Scottish painter bantering with his feisty ex-lover. I was not looking forward … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

The Storm I Couldn’t See Coming

Posted on May 13, 2025 by mitchteemley

Image by PortSundries My Real Memoir There’d been signs early on, but I was too young to know what they meant. In primary school I’d heard the phrase, “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back,” and started avoiding cracks. … Continue reading →

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A Perfect Calm Before the Storm

Posted on May 6, 2025 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir I stood in the dark one final time, and said, “Look, if you’re there, just cough or something.” As always, there was no answer. I was angry at God for not existing (although I wouldn’t admit it). … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments