Michael J. O'Connor – Medium

Michael J. O'Connor

Michael J. O'Connor

Steal My Bike, Drink My Spit

For a 12-year-old in the suburbs, few things can make you feel like you are part of the larger, grown-up world. Drugs are one of them…

10 min readDec 4, 2023

--

Steal My Bike, Drink My Spit

--

Michael J. O'Connor

I Took Too Many Mushrooms So You Don’t Have To

I ended up in Seattle because it was far away from the place that drove me insane. By age 21, I had already moved across the country to…

10 min readNov 6, 2023

--

I Took Too Many Mushrooms So You Don’t Have To

--

Michael J. O'Connor

Renewing My Vow to Forget

I spend most days trying to forget the things I’ve done. At least once in a 24-hour period, I will find myself cringing or shaking my head…

11 min readOct 2, 2023

--

Renewing My Vow to Forget

--

Michael J. O'Connor

My Last Day in the Restaurant Business

Up to a certain point, becoming a line cook was my greatest accomplishment. Before that, I stood in stoic awe from the dish pit, watching…

10 min readSep 18, 2023

--

My Last Day in the Restaurant Business

--

Michael J. O'Connor

I Tried to Go Home but Other People Lived There

By the time I graduated high school twenty years ago, I was like a trapped animal pacing back and forth behind bars. If you had taken me…

8 min readJul 31, 2023

--

I Tried to Go Home but Other People Lived There

--

Michael J. O'Connor

The Party Bus Nightmare

Getting a good job was shaping up to be a dreadful experience. Since the age of 14, I had worked my way from the absolute bottom of the…

9 min readJul 3, 2023

--

The Party Bus Nightmare

--

Michael J. O'Connor

Salvation at the Longest-Running Topless Revue in Vegas

The summer after my first year of high school was going to be a welcome rush of cool, clean air. My all-boys Catholic school was more than…

9 min readJun 5, 2023

--

Salvation at the Longest-Running Topless Revue in Vegas

--

Michael J. O'Connor

Taking the Train to Find My Way (Part 4)

My hotel was white and clean in the morning and I showered off the days of train filth and bar sweat for what felt like several hours. If…

8 min readMay 1, 2023

--

Taking the Train to Find My Way (Part 4)

--

Michael J. O'Connor

Taking the Train to Find My Way (Part 3)

Portland has always looked like pure annihilation to me. No matter where you turn, there is always something crumbling. Something falling…

6 min readApr 3, 2023

--

Taking the Train to Find My Way (Part 3)

--

Michael J. O'Connor

Taking the Train to Find My Way (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of this story. Read Part 1 first here.

8 min readMar 20, 2023

--

Taking the Train to Find My Way (Part 2)

--

Michael J. O'Connor

Michael J. O'Connor

Author of autofiction, essays, novels, articles, humor, satire, ad copy, plays, marketing video scripts, and any other work I can scrounge up for a measly buck.

Following

Help
Status
About
Careers
Press
Blog
Privacy
Terms
Text to speech
Teams