Category Archives: Memoir

My life and welcome to it.

My Life as a Not-Really

Posted on September 15, 2026 by mitchteemley

Ben Hur (1957), Spartacus (1960), YMCA logo, Boy’s Camp My Real Memoir: My Life as a Not-Really We weren’t “Nones,” to use the modern term for people who claim no religious affiliation. We were “Not Reallys.” For my parents’ generation, … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

25 Years Ago This Week

Posted on September 10, 2026 by mitchteemley

The Tribute in Light, New York City 25 Years Ago This Week September, 2001 was a tumultuous month for my family. We’d sold our Orange County condo, the only home our children had ever known, and on Labor Day moved … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Inspiration and Motivation, Memoir, Photography, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

An Ode to Hamburgers and Dads

Posted on September 8, 2026 by mitchteemley

The oldest surviving McDonald’s, in Downey, California My Real Memoir: An Ode to Hamburgers and Dads Until I was seven, the longest walks I ever took were to a unique little burger joint called “McDonald’s.” Mommandad counted every penny in … Continue reading →

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

I Was a Daredevil Paperboy!

Posted on September 1, 2026 by mitchteemley

Left to right: Schwinn Wasp “Newsboy Special” bicycle; 1950s Japanese transistor radio; Los Angeles Herald Express; authentic(ish) illustration of my paper route My Real Memoir: I Was a Daredevil Paperboy! As a result of my reckless adventuring and frequent self-disfigurements, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

The Year I Became “The Clever Kid”

Posted on August 25, 2026 by mitchteemley

Left to right: My 3rd grade photo; Columbus Day art and (on the back) my rendering of a Viking ship, inspired by The Vikings, my favorite movie that year; doodles and bad spelling. My Real Memoir: The Year I Became … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, Humor, Memoir, Storytelling, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Of Newspapers and Talking Birds

Posted on August 11, 2026 by mitchteemley

Left: ‘Welcome Dodgers’ headline, Los Angeles Evening Herald Express, 1958. Right: My 2nd Grade class photo My Real Memoir: Newspapers and Talking Birds Dad Was Ambitious to a Fault But he’d dropped out high school to shoot bad guys who … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 48 Comments

Confessions of an Eight-Year-Old Prankster

Posted on August 4, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo credit: The Lady My Real Memoir: Confessions of an Eight-Year-Old Prankster One of the advantages of living on a busy street (ours was the main route through the neighborhood) is that there’s a never-ending supply of drivers in need … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

I Turned 12 Today (in Blogger Years)!

Posted on July 30, 2026 by mitchteemley

Left: Me at biological age 12. I hated this photo the moment I saw it; with my cracked front tooth and sticky-outy ears, I decided I looked just like Mad Magazine’s poster boy Alfred E. Neuman! So I cut it … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 162 Comments

Embarrassing Side Effects

Posted on July 28, 2026 by mitchteemley

Image by NickRebmann My Real Memoir I’ve been unable to work on my normal memoir post for today due the embarrassing side effects of a recent medical procedure. Seriously, gag photo aside, I really did have a supposedly “simple” procedure, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 139 Comments

My Early Brushes With Mortality

Posted on July 21, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo source: Richard Ratay My Real Memoir My Early Brushes with Mortality. I’d spent just four months in my new home. Still, everything had changed. I’d gained two new best friends and emerged from my shy-shell. “Emerged?” Heck, I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments