Maria Shimizu Christensen
Bio
Writer living my dreams by day and dreaming up new ones by night
Also, History Major, Senior Accountant, Geek, Fan of cocktails and camping
Stories (102/0)
Bittersweet
Bitter, like chocolate, left to ferment and dry out so the essence becomes something else that is still not enough to be palatable, like bitter old women after a lifetime of fermenting small slights and cruelties that only increase with age and become visible when no sweetener has ever been added.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen2 years ago in Poets
Inspiring Words for Writers, By Writers
It's a universal truth that every story, every article, every poem, starts with a single word, and every writer ever has, at some point, stared down a blank page trying desperately to get the fingers to type or write that first word. Sometimes we give up, and sometimes we find the word. Sometimes we have to look beyond ourselves to find the will to get going.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen2 years ago in Motivation
- Top Story - January 2022
Bringing Back Childhood JoyTop Story - January 2022
The light clicked off and I waited, eyes shut tight, as the footsteps faded down the hallway. I knew I should probably wait a little longer – adults were tricky beings – but I couldn't. I just couldn't. My hand slowly crept toward the edge of my bed and down under the mattress where my stolen flashlight hid during the day.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen2 years ago in Motivation
3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Procrastination
I used to just crastinate. Then I turned pro. Writing this little article isn’t what I’m supposed to be doing. I have other, higher priority items on my to-do list. Things that are more important and higher earning. I just really don’t feel like doing any of them right now. We all feel that way sometimes, right? And there’s nothing wrong with that.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen2 years ago in Lifehack
Jenny’s Day
Don’t look down. Jenny’s boots swished through the untouched snow next to the sidewalk, creating a beautiful soft crunch with every footfall. She wished she had earmuffs for her cold ears – a furry pair like Cricket’s – but then again she might not hear her steps, and that was so rare in a big, loud city that it was worth a little pain.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen2 years ago in Families
Some Employers Are Basing Wages on Where You Live, and That's All Sorts of Wrong
When you see the term “income inequality” it doesn’t just mean what rich people earn in comparison to poor people, or the difference between CEOs and the rest of us. It also means pay inequities. We already know about pay gaps based on sex and race, but you can add geographic location to the ways in which corporations attempt to screw workers over in the matter of pay.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen2 years ago in Journal
Your Can of Olives Won't Help a Food Bank But There Are Other Things That Will
So many of you volunteer at or donate to food banks that it’s incredibly heartwarming. I wrote an article about food banks and the need for donating money to them, and realized that some people thought I was engaging in shaming for saying that food banks don’t need things like your old cans of olives and water chestnuts.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen2 years ago in Feast