I Have No Fight Left
Dear Sean, I’m useless. It seems like the world just doesn’t want me here anymore. What happens if I give up and send myself same-day shipping to God? Would it truly be a loss?
There’s no more fight in me.
Sean Dietrich
Things I Love
A tomato is a magical thing. A love story in nutritional form. A tomato connects you with real life in a way nothing else can.
“I Don’t Believe in Prayer”
The letter was short. “Dear Sean, do you believe prayer works? I don’t. Please pray I survive my surgery today.” Signed, Anonymous.
Ode to a Sunrise
Oh, to view a sunrise. To see that huge ball of brilliant orange light, peeking above the trees, reflecting on the mirrored lake. The orchestra of colors in the sky, as the morning sun lights the clouds from beneath, transforming them into the pink and gold frosting on the Birthday Cake of Life.
Weird Al
The boy didn’t have a lot going for him. At least, that’s what his parents thought. His parents were concerned. The other children would not stop laughing at their son. The other kids had turned him into a joke.
Watching Over You
You don’t know me, but I’ve been watching you since you were a baby. I’ve been here beside you. You could call me your guardian angel, I guess. But we don’t really call ourselves anything.
Last Stop
They stand behind caged doors. They look at you when you walk by. They howl like their lives depend on it. Because, you see, that’s just what they do.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Who do I think I am? My life begins at age 11. That’s when my father took his own life. He killed himself probably because he was going to prison.
Prayer for Texas
As I write this, 51 have been killed in the Texas floods, at least, and 15 are kids. The total of missing people isn’t even clear yet. So be with them, God. Be there in silent ways nobody would ever expect.
America’s Mutiny
March, 1783. The Revolutionary War was not over. The throng of Continental soldiers encamped at headquarters was pissed.
Scenes From an American Walmart
A small-town Walmart. Rural. Lots of rusty trucks and 20-year-old cars. Busy. Tons of people from different walks.
The Swimmers of Lake Martin
Lake Martin shimmers beneath a heavy midday sun. I am sitting on a dock. There are distant sounds of splashing. Kids laughing. All the children are swimming. All their respective adults are sitting ashore, dry. As adults often are. There is nothing like July on the lake.
Be All That You Can Be
There are a lot of things you can be. In fact, you can be anything you want in this life. You can just be yourself. You can be free. Be empowered. Be comfortable with who you are. Be invested in your own life.
Blind Dogs Don’t Run
They say blind dogs shouldn’t run. Namely because you can’t run when you’re a blind dog. You might run into stuff. Too many dangers. It’s scary.
Lucky Duck
Once upon a time, there was a duck named Lucky. He was small and white with a bright yellow bill, and he was born missing one leg. Lucky was unable to walk on land, but he could swim.
Buen Camino
If my brain were a school bus, all the nerdy thoughts would be sitting up front. These are the responsible, grown-up thoughts, wearing horn-rimmed glasses and neckties, performing important tasks on calculators, computing existentially vital equations such as, “Do BLTs actually need the L?”
A Day at the National Mall
Washington D.C. It was the height of summer. Early July. I was in town for a book event, to make a speech. I had time to kill, so I went to the National Mall. The National Mall is “America’s Front Yard.” There are thousands of tourists, and even more screaming babies.
What I Pray
Peace. I pray for peace.
Not national peace. Not global peace. Those concepts would be nice, but they are too big for my head to comprehend. No human has ever seen world peace. I don’t even know what it would look like.
All the Pretty Angels
When I was a kid, my mother believed in angels, but I didn’t. I was on the fence about angels. I didn’t believe in hocus pocus. My thought was, if angels were real, then why were they always the worst team in the Major Leagues?
Dear Flipper—I Mean, Sean
“I am 10 years old. My name is Peyton. I am a girl. People think Peyton is a boy name. But it can be both. What is your favorite animal? Mine is a dolphin.