Rowan Finley
Bio
Father. Academic Advisor. Musician. Writer. My real name is Jesse Balogh.
Stories (1177)
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"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck - Book Review
What I liked about it... I was surprised by how much the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck resonated with me. When I was in high school I read "The Grapes of Wrath." I really disliked that book at that point in my development and it felt like a large waste of time. However, after reading of "Of Mice and Men," it really struck me in a powerful way.
By Rowan Finley about a year ago in The Swamp
Strategic Planning - Two Haiku From the Perspective of Someone Near the Bottom of the Organizational Chart - This Particular Organizational Chart Requires Three Doctoral Degrees to Even Understand and Interpret It
They set the goals straight, but then they fail to see truth deep in the trenches. ~ They make it seem like there are no system errors,
By Rowan Finley about a year ago in Poets
How to Make a Weaving By Hand
Ever since I was a young kid, I have enjoyed weaving. There is something very calming about weaving that just soothes the soul for me. The purpose of this piece is just to give some simple directions on how to start your own weaving if you would like to give it a try. Feel free to ask questions in the comment section or let me know if you have done weavings in the past. The photos below are from me doing a recent weaving that I gave to my daughter. I was going to give it to some octogenarian at a local nursing home, but my young daughter stopped me and said that she wanted it. I'm not sure if she was just being nice, but I ended up giving it to her and it is currently hanging in her room now.
By Rowan Finley about a year ago in Lifehack
Three Ex-Yard Gnomes and a Homemade Pizza
Three yard gnomes named Jolly, Squally, and Polycarp lived on a shady front lawn. The lawn belonged to an old raisin-of-a-woman named Sadie O'Grady. Her name doesn't really matter though because this story is about the three yard gnomes. One day Squally squealed by exclaiming, "I'm terribly tired of this job, standing still as a statue all day on this boring, old, shady lawn! There is a whole wide world out there that we've just got to explore!”
By Rowan Finley about a year ago in Fiction
Men Support Men
Have you ever wondered why mass shootings are typically instigated by men? Have you ever wondered why men typically are the causes of domestic violence in the home? I never, in a million years, would ever excuse domestic violence or mass violence on any level because it goes without saying, that it is wrong. I don’t think anyone would argue otherwise. Also, if you, or anyone you know has personally experienced any kind of physical violence, then from the bottom of my heart, my soul hurts on your behalf. I feel tremendous compassion for you in this moment as I write this. What I want to consider here is how men, in particular, get to the point of a violent act. I believe it can all be rooted back to poor emotional regulation or suppression. I think that many men in the general population have not been encouraged properly to “feel” to simply “be.”
By Rowan Finley about a year ago in Men
