Tag: life
-
From Miami to Cape Coral: A Leap Toward Independence
Life has always been a series of chapters for me—some filled with beauty and connection, others with challenge and growth. My time in Miami was one of those transitional chapters: meaningful, necessary, but always intended to be temporary. It was a place to catch my breath, reflect, and prepare for what was next. Now, I’m…
-
The Last Smile
Afternoon, Friday, July 18, 2025, Miami, Florida “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speakknits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.”― William Shakespeare, Macbeth Today isn’t a good day—not because it’s a “sad anniversary” sort of day, though it is that too—but because daily life feels unusually heavy. I’m overwhelmed by…
-
A Brief Musing for Mid-July 2025
Afternoon, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Mid- to late July is never my favorite time of year. There are plenty of reasons. Unless I’ve managed to escape Florida—most recently for a ten-month stint in New Hampshire—the weather is either relentlessly hot, perpetually rainy, or, more often than not, both. The result is that I…
-
3,000 Miles from Home: A Column from Spain
Originally published in Catalyst – February 2, 1989Written in Seville, Spain – November 1988By Alex Diaz-Granados, Columnist SEVILLE, Spain (CCIS Program)One of the most important aspects of an extended trip overseas, especially for young collegians studying abroad (like us here in Spain), is mail from home—and no ritual is more important than the daily search…
-
Poet’s Corner: Boston, 1984 (#2)
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Poetry, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Romantic Poetry, Writing as a CraftThe Story Boston, 1984. A party Jim Garraty never wanted to attend. A girl who didn’t look away. A night stitched together by mixtapes, quiet courage, and the ache of choosing to stay. Jim isn’t chasing romance—he’s just trying to outrun the noise. But when Kelly Moore enters the room with her drink, her Rachmaninoff…
-
Thunder, Memory, and the Gentle Ache of Longing
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Going Full Circle: Back to South Florida I Go, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer in FloridaThursday Afternoon, July 3, 2025, Miami, Florida “When thunderstorms roll in, you make a choice to either succumb with tears to the gloomy downpour, or smile and look for rainbows.” — Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year It’s a dark and stormy… day. I’m…
-
“Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen”
A Quote Quilt by Alex Diaz-Granados In the hush between songs and stories, there’s a kind of magic that blooms when someone looks at you—not to evaluate, but to understand. Comings and Goings hums in that space. It’s a story stitched from quiet observations, shy admissions, and the kind of memory that doesn’t fade with…
-
On Writing and Storytelling: Writing Intimacy: When Kindness Is the Climax
Author’s note: This post includes a brief excerpt from Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen that touches on themes of emotional vulnerability and intimacy. It is written with restraint, care, and a focus on quiet connection rather than explicit content. I’ve always believed that intimacy isn’t just about what happens between two people—it’s…
-
The Kiss That Lingered: A Memoir’s Echo Through Fiction
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, College Life, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Student JournalistSome stories begin long after the moment itself. This one started in a college classroom in 1985, but it didn’t find its full voice until years later—first in memoir, then through the echoed silences of fiction. What follows isn’t just about Maria, or Marty, or Kelly. It’s about the quiet resonance of memory, and how…
-
“Because You Were Kind. Because You Were Here.”: Why Presence Speaks Louder Than Resolution
“Because You Were Kind. Because You Were Here.”: Why Presence Speaks Louder Than Resolution There are moments in life when we think words will fix things. That if we can only say the perfect thing, take the perfect action, explain ourselves clearly enough, everything will shift. Stories often chase that kind of transformation—the big gesture,…
A Certain Point of View, Too 