Michael T. Starks

Category: Storytelling

  • Estate Planning

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    While I don’t love the idea of planning for what might happen when I die, I recognize the importance of doing what I can to make things easier for my surviving family members. Lori Trawinski wrote about her experience as an executor in the AARP article My Mom Died. Then Came the Ordeal. She has…

  • Clutter

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    I want to make a more concerted effort to eliminate clutter. For me, the following amount of clutter on my desk is fine. However, it’s not unusual for my desk to look like this. Or worse! One strategy to eliminate clutter is to throw it all into a box or a bag. Then, you can…

  • Who’s Who

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    Apparently, I’ve been listed in Who’s Who again. While I haven’t purchased the services that would let me confirm what the listing looks like, I have downloaded this fancy PNG. Some honors are more meaningful than others.

  • Missing Activities

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    It’s been a long time since I’ve been shooting a movie. It’s been a long time since I’ve prepared and presented a Toastmasters speech. It’s been a long time since I’ve taught math and physics classes. It’s been a long time since I’ve played a board game. It’s been a long time since I’ve attended…

  • Getting Discovered

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    Before Facebook was big, smaller communities could gather online using Content Management Systems. For some reason, I found Drupal. Karilyn and I decided to create an online community for teenage ghost hunters. We called it the Teen Paranormal Adventure Club (TPAC). In retrospect, this wasn’t a great name. However, the original idea was strong. We…

  • Blink

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    Watching the movie Blink was one of my favorite experiences at the Telluride Film Festival. Waiting in line, I didn’t know if I would get in. So when I did, it was a thrill just knowing I would be able to see the movie. The movie is about a family that decides to travel throughout…

  • Movies to See

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    While I watched a few excellent movies at the Telluride Film Festival this year, I didn’t take the opportunity to watch as many as I would like. Here’s my brief list of movies I still want to see that were shown at Telluride. Yes, this is my brief list. There are plenty of other movies…

  • Smaller Plates

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    I’m imagining a large plate of food piled high and spilling over the edges. There’s no way you can eat it all. You feel bad letting it go to waste, but the plate is overflowing with food. There’s just too much. Maybe you eat what you can and then walk away. Sometimes, my life is…

  • The More Things Change…

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    Walter Murch is an extraordinary film editor and author of a book I like called In the Blink of an Eye. On Friday (8/30/2024), I watched his new movie, Her Name Was Moviola. It shows us how movies used to be made, before digital editing replaced the original process of using a blade to physically…

  • Conditions for Brevity

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    In my previous post, I talked about loving this quote. “The lesson of Icarus isn’t to stop flying so high. It’s to build better wings.” Here’s another reason why this quote is so great. It’s concise. In just a few words, it packs a powerful punch. And it’s surprising! Of course, if you are unfamiliar…