My dad is the pastor of an evangelical Christian church.
I, however, am an atheist.
For a long time, I assumed my lack of faith as a pastor’s kid (or PK) made me something of an oddity. And then a month or so ago, while listening to CBC Radio One’s show Tapestry, a guest mentioned a stereotype that paints PKs as being more likely to abandon their faith than kids of regular church-going parents.
To which I did a sudden and surprised about-face. Continue reading
Happy to announce that my short story “Gums and Gauze” has placed first in the Canadian Authors Association (Niagara Branch) FIFTEEN STORIES HIGH short story contest. The story was inspired by a dream of my sister’s about a pelican plucking out all of her teeth. Chilling, right? Which got me thinking, and then (as tends … Continue reading
OPINION // March 23, 2020 by Z. S. Roe SO FAR I’m not panicking. The feeling is more akin to slipping. It’s as if the world has tipped on its axis, but by just a little, just enough that my footing is no longer sure. I have to plant my feet with firm intention, set … Continue reading
Since I was sixteen, I’ve lived a life in glass — a life of clean cuts and sharp edges; of broken windows and shattered mirror; of blood spatter and stitches… Continue reading
…there’s something dangerously intoxicating about a title like that. It’s both threatening and evocative, in turn conversational and cruelly prophetic. It’s the kind of title that sits in the back of your mind and never lets you forget it… Continue reading
…I’ve heard it said more times than I can count (and twice just this past weekend): If I dislike my job so much, why don’t I find something else? To my mind, the answer should be obvious… Continue reading
Christmas is a mess of a holiday, and it’s meaning is always changing, but I love it all the same. And while some atheists might prefer to say “Happy Holidays” or some other such nonsense, I’ll forever say … Continue reading
… I was impressed by the results; so too was my wife … until she got a closer look and remarked that Toppik made it look like my head was growing mold… Continue reading
Getting angry, while sometimes appropriate, is not always the wisest and most effective approach. And here, my atheist and believer friends, are four very good reasons why… Continue reading
You’d think I’d be jealous of Chuck’s good fortune. Yet I’m not. I’m actually happy for him. And nobody could be more surprised by that response than me… Continue reading
Multiple Sclerosis ravages the body – it is a kind of suffering that I can only imagine. Even so, you appear to be meeting it with a kind of quiet fortitude that is nothing short of inspiring… Continue reading
What follows are this year’s highlights, as determined by me. It’s as objective as the unquestionable superiority of crunchy peanut butter. Know the crunch. Respect the crunch… Continue reading
It’s important to set goals. Even more important, though, is achieving those goals. You work hard, you struggle, and despite some initial setbacks, you push through to the end. You did it, bro. Good job … Continue reading
The popular position to take, after all, is that Christmas just isn’t what it used to be . . . you know, back when we were kids. I mean, you can’t even say “Merry Christmas” anymore, am I right? Continue reading
…I love movies so much that I frequently go to the theatre by myself. Actually, I sometimes prefer seeing movies by myself; company just distracts from the actual film… Continue reading
