There is a part of me that makes accusations, nasty ones. “You’re not good enough.” “You suck.” “You deserve everything that has happened.” “You are a f*ckup.” “If anyone knows how weak you are, you will be deserted.” “If people know you, they won’t like you.” And so much more. That part feeds shame and … Continue reading Do The Dang Thing
Trauma
I Needed The “Luckiest Girl Alive”
I understand the importance of trigger warnings for people. I really do. We owe it to survivors of traumatic situations to put a trigger warning on things, but as someone who has experienced some traumatic situations, I need the debate to be less about an attempt to sensor material and more about sensitivity to those … Continue reading I Needed The “Luckiest Girl Alive”
Embrace the Suck…Er…Shame (Part)
Have you ever pretended to be someone you aren’t? I don’t mean “fake it until you make it.” I mean acting a part but being an imposter. I recently read about a man who may have murdered a twenty-year-old man, but investigators couldn’t prove it. Instead, they charged the man for every other crime they … Continue reading Embrace the Suck…Er…Shame (Part)
Power Rangers and Parts
Photo by Raphaël Cubertafon on Unsplash Let’s talk for a moment about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. At the expense of my son’s future dignity, I will reveal that he watched several episodes and a movie recently, and that provided me with the small amount of information I have here. The Power Rangers were not … Continue reading Power Rangers and Parts
The Heavy Bag
Photo by Milo Bunnik on Unsplash Last night I couldn’t sleep. For some reason, I kept thinking about a punching bag—one I had beaten for close to 10 minutes straight without a break. When I couldn’t possibly throw another punch, I held the heavy bag. When I say I held it, I mean I flat-out … Continue reading The Heavy Bag
The Lion and the Elephant
Have you ever read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho? It is an incredibly popular book and highly recommended, yet when I looked at my Goodreads account, I noticed it had only 3.9 stars. Why? Mostly because it was a self-help fiction book with patriarchal undertones, according to the reviews. If you look past that, I … Continue reading The Lion and the Elephant
A Snapshot
“Coat and shoes,” I repeat for the fifth time. This time I think he processes it because he grabs his shoes, but only one shoe goes on. Ian gives a voice to his random thoughts as he sets his other shoe down. “Mom, did you know that in Minecraft the axolotl…” I am trying to … Continue reading A Snapshot
Burn the Boat! 