When people don't have skills to manage distressing realities they sometimes assuage discomfort through diminishing, repetitious proclamations; like commercials advertising products you don't need. It was often contradictory accusations like shut up, I can't hear you. Stop trying so hard, lazy. You need to do a little soul searching. Oh fa' gods sake,…Read more Night and Day
recovery
Writing on a Wall
Walk the burning street and live there. Unlikely alternatives forcing you to peel off sticky labels conveniently slapped where understanding wants to be. You don't know me. You don't know mine. No need for explanations. Chin up buttercup. You got this. * Resilience counts as a blessing for sure. For more poetic blessings head over…Read more Writing on a Wall
La Postal
Hi, How was your weekend? I hope it was restful. Life is so complex; I mean, it's beautiful but it doesn't exactly come with an instruction manual. There's the word and fairy tales but sometimes we find ourselves in a story gap. Yea? This morning on my run (which I had to do early before…Read more La Postal
End-titled
“We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.” ― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale There are over 7 billion people in the world. I often wonder how many…Read more End-titled
No Thanks
It's not that I'm anti mothers or ungrateful for the miracle of human reproduction but I've always found myself averse towards rewarding adult choices. There's something trivializing and strangely dysfunctional about this particular holiday. Again, it's not that I don't appreciate the concept of caregiving, it just feels like the original intent for the holiday…Read more No Thanks
V.I.P
It was a radio, then t.v show that started in the 40's and ran for over 20 years; Queen for a Day. Also called the 'Cinderella show', it featured four women sitting in front of a studio audience while Jack Bailey summarized each of their personal struggles with a poetic, mildly sexist, lilt. The audience would…Read more V.I.P
Hello, My Name is Pleasantville
Pleasantville was a film written, directed and produced by Gary Ross in the late 90's. A dystopian fairy tale of sorts, it didn't do so well in the box office despite the talented, well known cast, stunning cinematography and nostalgic soundtrack. The film has always resonated with me because of its strong undertones of civil…Read more Hello, My Name is Pleasantville
Shrink
Jantelovian Law was created by a Danish author in what is believed to be a moment of literary sarcasm. They're essentially the 10 commandments of selflessness. In Scandinavia you're not a special snowflake. If you attempt to distinguish yourself in tall poppy fashion you're likely to be cut down and sentenced to volunteer as a…Read more Shrink
Hey, It’s Ok
Over the holidays I talked with a couple of girlfriends who were heartsick over games of emotional tug of war, also known as codependence. Codependent love goes like this: Here's all the shitty, unreasonable, terrible, horrible, no good things this person did and here's all the great, rule-following, generous, responsible, hard-working, sacrificial, exhausting, never-ending, perfect things I…Read more Hey, It’s Ok
Tidings
Perception, access, resources and ability largely determine the way we approach accountability, healing and change. Initially when my mother and stepfather told us we were moving to a 20 mile long floating land mass in the middle of a giant puddle known as the Atlantic, we wailed in protest. I was tired of unpacking…Read more Tidings
Born in Providence 