Today I celebrate 25 years sober. In a week, I’ll celebrate 52 years of age. It’s a good marking point for reflecting on a life affair with sobriety. I managed to survive the first 17 years without alcohol by honing my sarcastic and comedic skills. I coped with the shit show of my life by […]
Blog
September 11
It was a day that altered every life in America in 2001. A day that taught me what patriotism looks like. A day when there was no right, no left, no Republican, no Democrat. It was a day that we were all Americans. A day when parents stopped everything to rush to their children. […]
Community
It’s a word typically used to describe a characteristic of a group of living beings. It’s been used in many different, and quite varied, settings. “Homeless community”. “Church community”. It’s a way that people categorize themselves, identify themselves, and label themselves and others, good and bad. Some communities carry a negative connotation. Some make people […]
Who inspires you to be a better human?
Who inspires you to be a better human? Is it your pastor? Your partner? A relative? Superhero? Your mom? It’s not an easy thing to find in today’s culture in America. Inspiration? Hope? Every where we look, we see polarity. Arguments. Bullying. People who profit from and support the suffering of others. How deeply do […]
Home
“We may act sophisticated and worldly but I believe we feel safest when we go inside ourselves and find home, a place where we belong and maybe the only place we really do.” ~Maya Angelou
“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SHITTY THIS IS?”
That was the question written on his sign as he stood on the side of the road at the exit ramp.
The Importance Of Picking A Damn Good Baby Daddy
Dysfunction in my family of origin went unnoticed by me until I started college. Silence in my childhood home was only interrupted by the most mundane of conversations – “what’s for dinner?”, “Unload the dishwasher before I get home.”, “Get your shoes before you miss the bus.” My mother had a new arts and crafts […]
Hope
A beautiful spring day when the sky is an endless, cerulean blue with big fluffy, marshmallow clouds.
A hug so warm it seeps into your spirit, sometimes a fire that burns your fingers.
The sunlight glinting on the lake throwing diamonds in your eyes with every ripple.
What’s The Number?
What’s the number? How much does integrity cost? Jesus loves the little children. What number does the GDP reflect when it becomes acceptable to mock a disabled human publicly? The insidious implication that protectors of a nation are suspicious. The blatant introduction of national enemies into infrastructure. All the children of the world. Boys will […]
To The Stranger I Once Called Mama
The only one who had a plan and a purpose for me was the Universe.
My destiny was to never be enough.
I entered your journey as a mistake – my life a burden to yours.
Happy Holidays From The Cheap Seats
Holiday season is here. Break out the turkeys, casseroles, Christmas carols, gifts, and family. We all picture the cozy family gatherings viewed through a frozen, candlelit window pane amidst snow softly falling. We don’t ever imagine the actual train wreck it is for many of us. The reality is, for those among us in recovery, those among us who are LGBT, those of us who are desperately trying to establish our own truths about our identities as adults, that family ends up being a place where we don’t belong. Aunt Edith is going to whisper (loudly) all the latest gossip about cousin Ned’s latest stint in rehab so that everyone within a 50 mile radius can hear it. Another relative is going to ask gay cousin Jim what happened to his last “friend”. Granny is going to get pissed because the rolls are burning and no one can be bothered with helping. And God knows that someone is going to bring up politics.
Lessons In Training For A Marathon (Or Learning To Write As Art)
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” We’ve all heard the cliché describing the undertaking of anything that seems overwhelming. So it is with signing up for a writing course when you’ve never written anything for publication. Except it isn’t. Does fear of vulnerability, exposure, or failure exist at the prospect of eating an elephant?
