Counterspell

October 1st, 2020

This isn’t a political post. Honest. It starts from a moment during the debate, but it’s deeply personal and I think it’s worth saying.

Last night, Trump attacked Hunter Biden’s problems with addiction. Joe spoke up and said he was proud of his son for dealing with those issues.

Unfortunately, Trump’s comments on people who have problems with addiction aren’t uncommon or unique.

It’s the reason I decided to go very public with my own struggles, while still lying in a hospital bed, starting a recovery from something that carries with it a lot of shame and ridicule.

It was a complex combination of things, but ultimately, I decided to normalize the pain, and anxiety, and uncertainty, and talk about the things that a lot of people don’t talk about, and I strove to do it in a positive way. I learned a lot about compassion — not just for people who struggle like me, but for all people.

And that’s the team I joined. I decided that whatever point I made, or stance I took, would have to have a basis in love, kindness and an understanding for others.

Last night, Trump attacked me. He attacked millions of people who struggle with addiction, and he reinforced what those without compassion say about them. He reminded them to be ashamed. He reminded them that what they are can be used against them, or their families.

So I want to be your other reminder.

I want to remind you that you are the light. You are duly important. You are infinitely priceless. You are loved. You are one of a kind, and this world is better for you in it.

Over the years, hundreds of people have reached out to me about how this affects their lives. Distantly, remotely, relatively, intimately.

I hear you, and I see you, and I’m sorry that we live in a world that can see us as inferior or less than.

We are bigger than any problem, and our solution is to live.