Category Archives: Memoir

My Farewell to Old Los Angeles

Posted on May 5, 2026 by mitchteemley

Scenes from a long-forgotten L.A. My Real Memoir My farewell to old Los Angeles. That was what it turned out to be. When school was out, Mom would sometimes take me to “her L.A.” The two musts of these magical … Continue reading →

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

The Kindness of Strangers

Posted on May 1, 2026 by mitchteemley

All photos by Mitch Teemley, except Tulip the bulldog (by Elliot Teemley) She Was Completely Dependent Upon… The kindness of strangers. A few weeks ago, our firstborn Elliot was walking near their apartment, when they* spotted a rotund little bulldog … Continue reading →

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

Horror! Devastation! Pee!

Posted on April 28, 2026 by mitchteemley

War of the Worlds (1953) My Real Memoir Horror! Devastation! Pee! It was late summer, shortly before second grade began, and Dad wanted to see a movie. Imagine that — Dad wanted to see a movie! It was normally Mom … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

My Super-Secret Operation!

Posted on April 21, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo courtesy of Leicester Mercury My Real Memoir My Super-Secret Operation! I asked my wife whether I should publicly share this  confidential nugget from my childhood. Being pseudo-famous, I always find it wise to ask my very private wife when … Continue reading →

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

Life With a Capital L

Posted on April 14, 2026 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir Life With a Capital L: My first introduction to Life beyond my neighborhood came from a tiny black-and-white TV. And by “Life,” I mean storytelling–which virtually defines who I am–some subtly-inserted human values, and humor; if storytelling … Continue reading →

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My All-American Friend

Posted on April 7, 2026 by mitchteemley

TV taught me that Ovaltine was the perfect food. My Real Memoir My First “Normal” Friend I’ve never been normal in any rational sense of the word. But Stevie was. Heck, he had red hair and freckles. Which was as … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

The Year I Turned Shy

Posted on March 31, 2026 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir The Year I Turned Shy: Me? Shy? Hard to believe, I know, but up until Kindergarten I’d never had any friends my age. And when I finally did meet some, they seemed weirdly “normal.” I didn’t know … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

How Mom Taught Me to Express Myself

Posted on March 24, 2026 by mitchteemley

On the very first day of Kindergarten, I became a persecuted artist! From my Childhood Memoirs. Continue reading →

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My First Kid Friend

Posted on March 17, 2026 by mitchteemley

Image sources: Left, reecesrainbow.org — Right, freepik.com  My Real Memoir: My First Kid Friend Eddie Was Different He wasn’t my first human friend (that would by Crazy Old Alice). But Weird Eddie was my first kid friend. He sort of looked Chinese, … Continue reading →

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Only Two Kinds of People

Posted on March 12, 2026 by mitchteemley

Image by Johannes Plenio There are only two kinds of people in this world: those who know they’re broken and those who believe they aren’t. It’s the latter who keep this world from healing. I know because I was once among … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir, Quips and Quotes, The Wishing Map | Tagged , , , , , , , | 34 Comments