Continuing my occasional travel memory blog entries: Thurmond, West Virginia, felt like walking into a paused sentence. The buildings still stand in a straight line along the railroad tracks, their wooden facades facing forward as if waiting for something. But the motion that once defined the town is gone. Its population is five people. Yes,Continue reading “Thurmond, West Virginia – The Trains Still Pass Through”
Author Archives: John Berkovich
Exploring Mississippi’s Legendary Crossroads
Continuing my travel journal: Not far from Money, Mississippi – just a short drive across the same flat Delta landscape – I found myself chasing a very different ghost. Where Money carries the weight of documented history, the Delta’s crossroads carry myth. Somewhere near the intersection of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, theContinue reading “Exploring Mississippi’s Legendary Crossroads”
A Visit To Money, Mississippi
Some places one visits hum with energy and life. Others feel as though they breathe through memory alone. I had read about the town for years because of the tragic story of Emmett Till, but reading about history and standing inside it are two entirely different experiences. Driving toward Money several years ago felt lessContinue reading “A Visit To Money, Mississippi”
Why Regulars Don’t Want to Be Your Music Consultant
There’s a certain unspoken contract when you’re a regular at a hangout. You show up. You’re polite, and you tip well. You don’t ask for favors but it’s nice when someone goes out of their way for you because you are a regular. You don’t make anyone’s job harder than it needs to be. YouContinue reading “Why Regulars Don’t Want to Be Your Music Consultant”
Where Does It Say I Have to Respond on Your Timetable?
Somewhere along the way, we quietly rewrote the rules of availability. I’m talking about outside of work, though, in a way, it can apply to work. Not in a meeting. Not in a handbook. Not even in a conversation anyone remembers agreeing to. It just sort of happened. If you have a phone, you’re reachable.Continue reading “Where Does It Say I Have to Respond on Your Timetable?”
Turning the Lights Back On
As noted in my previous entry, winter has a way of slowly dimming the room without telling you it touched the switch. It’s not enough to make you think something is wrong. Just enough that everything feels a little flatter, a little heavier, a little slower. You’re still functioning. You’re still getting things done. ButContinue reading “Turning the Lights Back On”
Not Depressed, Just Dimmed
January has a way of turning life’s dimmer switch down without asking permission. Not off. Not dark. Just… lower. That’s the best way I can describe winter when you live in quiet cottage country and work from home. The days aren’t dramatic enough to feel like a crisis, but they’re heavy enough to feel different.Continue reading “Not Depressed, Just Dimmed”
Two Weeks Isn’t Rest: Burnout, Screens, and the Forgotten Art of Unplugging
I used to think burnout meant you were overwhelmed or overworked or maybe just bad at managing your time. Now I understand it’s something quieter and more dangerous than that. Burnout is what happens when your nervous system never truly gets to stand down. When the mind is always slightly on alert. When even yourContinue reading “Two Weeks Isn’t Rest: Burnout, Screens, and the Forgotten Art of Unplugging”
Thinking about my old college housemates
I was thinking about my college days recently, harkening back to a time when I shared a house with two other people. One was awesome, while the other was, shall we say, a bit rough around the edges and prone to double standards, but overall a person I could tolerate. There is a special kindContinue reading “Thinking about my old college housemates”
The Morning Tug-of-War And Why Every Day Starts With a Quiet Battle
Since today is Monday (and this is likely my last post of 2025), I figured the timing of this was appropriate. There’s a moment every morning — usually before the alarm, before the coffee, before you’ve fully returned to yourself — when life feels heavier than it has any right to be. You lie thereContinue reading “The Morning Tug-of-War And Why Every Day Starts With a Quiet Battle”
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