Author: Glenn Ferrell

Just the guy who keeps the lights on.

Enormity in Small Things

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Four years ago, when I was first considering a move to Vermont for a career change, there were naturally reservations. I knew that Waterbury was smaller than most any town I had spent the night in, much less lived in, and nearby towns weren’t much larger. I considered commuting from Burlington, a bit of a mixture of Wilmington and Newark, Delaware—only with more spunk and vigor—but the distance and inadequate transit made it impractical.

So, I gathered all the … Read More ➤

Message to a Mystery Girl

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I dream constantly, but most are just flashes that I vaguely, if it all, remember. A lot have to do with practical, everyday things or things so unreal they mean little. I know my brain moves ninety-to-nothing at all times, and sleep is no different.

But occasionally a dream is so connected to reality, that I forget I’m supposed to be asleep. This was one one such dream.

We should first put aside that… Read More ➤

Man in the Mirror

Man in the Mirror

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In my head, I’m still that 20-something guy, absorbing all I can and working on that long journey to figure out myself and the world.

If I close my eyes and sing along to some song that means anything to me, it’s still 1993. I’m sitting on the bed in that rented room on Dallas Avenue, wearing tattered jeans and a tie-dyed shirt while lip-syncing Toad the Wet Sprocket.

For a split second, I might even get the urge to hop on the old Schwinn mountain bike and head to… Read More ➤

The Muppets on ABC

Yes, please…and thank you!

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From ABC: The Muppets return to primetime with a contemporary, documentary-style show. For the first time ever, a series will explore the Muppets’ personal lives and relationships, both at home and at work, as well as romances, breakups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires. This is a more adult Muppet show, for “kids” of all ages.

Yes, please…and thank you! Read More ➤

Glenn in 1982.

Little Man Big Man

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We had to put our heads on our desks and raise our hands to vote. There were no paper ballots, no ballot box, just a simple count of hands. This came after each category called for nominations: secretary, treasurer, reporter, representatives, vice president, and president of the class’s 4-H chapter.

I was at the age where I thought formalities like this mattered, and any positive attention or recognition I could get was automatically a good thing. This was fifth grade, and it’s when… Read More ➤

If I Seemed too Quiet…

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At a time in my life when I hated the world and it seemed to reciprocate beyond all expectation, there was always one bright spot—my silly little brother Kevin. I had been the youngest of three kids for 12 years, but I never really felt the part. It got me no special treatment, and if anything I felt like the quintessential middle child from the beginning—and that made perfect sense when Kevin was born five days after my 12th birthday.

To our delight, Kevin was… Read More ➤

Always Changing, Probably

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I don’t often write about work, and my family and friends seem so befuddled about it that I rarely even bring it up. It’s not fascinating or earth-shattering, but I do enjoy it.

First, a little background: When I finished my undergraduate work (English and anthropology), I knew I wanted to work in publishing, preferably academic publishing. I was certain I did not want to teach, and really, what else is there for an English major but publishing or writing? So I continued with a master’s degree in publishing. Was it more than I needed? Perhaps. It also… Read More ➤

A Modest Proposal

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If you’re anything like me—believe me, I’m not that unique—you are tired of the pageantry and puppetry every two years for national elections. Our entire process has become a televised three-ring circus, full of creepy clowns and poo-flinging monkeys, most ignoring reality and acting solely on hysteria.

Once a model for stability and smooth power transition, our elections have quickly becoming a joke on the world stage, negating any legitimacy for American intervention or… Read More ➤

Everything and Nothing

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I’ve never been a big fan of Robin Williams’ comedy. I often found his frenzied standup painful to watch and sometimes had to turn from talk shows during his segments, because even his interviews were just too manic during my “wind down” time. I was wary of his movies for the same reason, and I haven’t seen many of them. I have, however, always been a fan of Robin Williams, the man.

No, he wasn’t a hero by any stretch and didn’t accomplish… Read More ➤

Happy Discoveries

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In case you haven’t figured it out yet, life is pretty short. I try to spend mine discovering anything and everything, big and small, bizarre and mundane.

No matter where I go—to and from work, out for a stroll behind my building, or walking through my neighborhood—I am constantly taking inventory. My eyes scan everything around me, detecting the least little speck of something out of place. (Ask Susanne—she’s witnessed me spotting the tiniest of things in the forest floor on many of our hikes together.)

So it was nothing new to… Read More ➤