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)
Trust and Loyalty Are Dead in the American Workplace
The ethicist columnist for The New York Times Magazine got things really wrong. And by the way, Is it ethical to call out an ethicist when they’re probably dealing in good faith and have the credentials I lack to gain a position writing about ethics for an employer, and are probably trying to help? Gah. This is why I never took philosophy in college. I’m doing it anyway.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Journal
The Most Common Thing People Get Wrong in Job Interviews
Picture yourself in a job interview extolling your accomplishments, listing your skills, and highlighting your work experience. You’re suitably enthusiastic, confident, articulate, and looking the interviewer in the eye. You think you’re nailing this interview, but you could easily be wrong.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Journal
3 Important Life Lessons From Bud the Turtle
Turtles are single-minded when in pursuit of a goal. I’ve had 25 years to observe this phenomenon, and expect to continue these observations for another 15 years. Domesticated turtles have long lives, although calling them “domesticated” might be pushing things a bit. Turtles do what they want to do. They take the stereotypes of cats to the utter limits.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Petlife
Representation Matters in the Crossroads Trilogy by Kate Elliott
What if 99% of Europe had been wiped out by the plague in the 14th century, and the remaining non-white peoples of the planet shaped almost all of human history? That was the premise of Kim Stanley Robinson’s alt-history novel, “The Years of Rice and Salt”. While this review isn’t about that book, it provides a way to shift your thinking to a world made up solely of people of color.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Fiction
The Oysters of Hood Canal
I hate raw oysters. This is odd because I’ve been eating raw seafood my whole life. I’m part Japanese. It goes with the heritage territory. But there’s something about raw oysters that alerts every taste bud that something bad is coming their way, and tells me, don’t even go there. That said, put those same oysters on a sizzling grill and drizzle any kind of sauce on them and I am all for that. This plays a role in my love affair with Hood Canal.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Wander
It Takes More Than Just Writing to Be a Better Writer
I’ve written before about being an online content hack writer and not being ashamed of it. That still holds true, even though it’s not the best writing I do. In that same article I asked you to think about what kind of writer you want to be. Maybe you’re still thinking about it, or maybe you’re working on it, but either way, it might be time to develop a personal strategy for writing and becoming a better writer.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Journal
The 13th Day of Christmas
On December 25th, the first day of Christmas, I conjured up a pear tree full of ripe, luscious fruit. On the lowest branch sat a cooing partridge. I placed it in the middle of his front yard, wrapped a red bow around the trunk and knocked on his front door.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Fiction
Cancel Culture began in 1620
"You're outta here!" From right to left, everyone in America is pretty busy trying to cancel just about everything and everyone (else). Or at least that's the way it’s described by a lot of people, regardless of their political ideologies or whether or not they’re trying to cancel someone or something. Double standards and hypocrisy are running amok in society. But what does cancelling even mean?
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in The Swamp
A Beautifully Flawed State of Imperfection
I carefully wrap thread around the needle and push it back through the fabric, gently holding the thread to guide it into a perfect French knot. What results is a tangled blob with random loops shooting out every which way. Definitely not French.
By Maria Shimizu Christensen3 years ago in Lifehack