Author Archives: Barry Pomeroy

About Barry Pomeroy

I had an English teacher in high school many years ago who talked about writing as something that people do, rather than something that died with Shakespeare. I began writing soon after, maudlin poetry followed by short prose pieces, but finally, after years of academic training, I learned something about the magic of the manipulated word.

Haters Gonna Hate

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Barry Pomeroy

Comments about haters, or people who have no contributions other than to heap ridicule onto another’s accomplishments, are common now, but the phenomenon is not new. I would venture a guess that even when the first stone tool was smashed … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Self-reliance | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Haters Gonna Hate

The Parable of the Man in the Cave

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Barry Pomeroy

Suffa lived in his cave and every day he prayed that he might somehow win the house across from him. He imagined what it would be like living in a palace, looking out across the desert and even overlooking the … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Solitude | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Parable of the Man in the Cave

An Island Overrun with Prisoners and Soldiers

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Barry Pomeroy

When William Golding imagines his feral schoolboys in Lord of the Flies, he thinks that they will inevitably shed the shallow indoctrination of the arbitrary and recently acquired rules of polite society and fall back upon their baser instincts which … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Culture, Health, News of the World, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on An Island Overrun with Prisoners and Soldiers

Bugs on the Bus

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

I was on the bus one time when a bunch of teenagers got on and, because of crowding, they had to stand in the aisle. As soon as seats came open, they claimed them, and then called to their friend … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Health | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Bugs on the Bus

You Know the Rules

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Years ago my sister had both a cat and a dog. Although she was always kind with the animals, when the dog farted she would put the cat outside as well. As she did, she would say, “You know the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Self-reliance, Superstition | Tagged , , | Comments Off on You Know the Rules

Honda Civic Maintenance from 81 to 99: A Personal Journey

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Many older people often fall into the trap of believing or pretending that the world was better when they were young. They mistakenly presume that their nostalgia means that their memories are worth more than those who are young now, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Self-reliance | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Honda Civic Maintenance from 81 to 99: A Personal Journey

Canada’s Difficulty with Reconciliation

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

The rediscovery of unmarked gravesites at the Kamloops residential school in the summer of 2021 brought a grisly history into the public eye. Although people had found bones on the site before, the use of ground penetrating radar went a … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Culture, History, Winnipeg | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Canada’s Difficulty with Reconciliation

Coming to Shore

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

If I were writing an elegy, I would say that the voyage has been a difficult one. I readied the boat, took down sails in the storms, and dropped anchor when arriving in the calm waters of the port. Unfortunately, … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Coming to Shore

Buying an Academic Paper from Cheating Sites

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Once students have exhausted the other plagiarism options, such as lifting material from online and cheating from their friend, like a moth to a flame they are drawn to paper-writer-for-hire websites. There they become ecstatic over promises to lighten their … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Buying an Academic Paper from Cheating Sites

Typhoid Mary

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

The case of Typhoid Mary—a name she hated—is a peculiar one in the annals of public health. We had surely had carriers like her before, those who never suffered from an illness they inadvertently passed on, but she was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, History | Tagged | Comments Off on Typhoid Mary