A Kind Word & A Friendly Face

August 8th, 2022 “All they need is a kind word and a friendly face.” Kindness is like a thumb on a knot. I had a really insecure week. Not that the week wasn’t sure of what it was, but I’m not. I’ve just felt out of place and out of sorts, not myself, wobbly onContinue reading “A Kind Word & A Friendly Face”

Everyone as Puzzles

August 5th, 2022 A life’s journey is puzzling. I’ve made that idea near-literal. When you’re in recovery and an open book, people love to ask you about the ugliest parts of your story. “So what was your rock bottom?” I have never been fully comfortable with that phrase, at least when it comes to howContinue reading “Everyone as Puzzles”

Lowered Expectations

July 29th, 2022 Why is everyone so angry? It’s a tough question, but never fear, because I have the answer. No one’s going to read it, but I have it. Over the years, I’ve had to develop ways to deal with myself, because I am the worst. Perhaps the most important tool I’ve gained (besidesContinue reading “Lowered Expectations”

a squirrel, a reality star, and my addiction

July 14th, 2022 If you know me even a little, you know that I think pop culture is important, and that I use it to make sense of our existence. The following is an ambitious use of popular culture to explain behavior that is not popular at all, but I really hope you’ll follow. I’veContinue reading “a squirrel, a reality star, and my addiction”

Victim of Me

June 23rd, 2022 “You cannot heal in the same environment where you got sick.” What a full load of bullshit. But that phrase (or related ones) keeps popping up like a weed, in real life and the not-so-real life we know as the internet. This sentence perpetuates the idea that we cannot get better rightContinue reading “Victim of Me”

Plain & Friendly Too

June 15th, 2022 “He did not want to appear at a loss or to let his followers down. He decided that it would be best to be plain and friendly.” – Watership Down If this quote sounds familiar, it’s probably because I either told you what it means to me in real life, or youContinue reading “Plain & Friendly Too”

Free Comic Book Day 2022

May 7th, 2022 It’s Free Comic Book Day, an event that celebrates an art form that has had not only a substantial impact on culture and society, but has a deeply personal connection with the people who love it. I’m one of those people. I create comics (see: The Weirdos: Volume I, a graphic novelContinue reading “Free Comic Book Day 2022”

“Uncomfortable”

May 2nd, 2022 “In America, you have the right to seek the truth and speak the truth, even if it makes people in power uncomfortable. Even if it makes your viewers or readers uncomfortable. You understand how amazing that is?” – Trevor Noah, 2022 White House Correspondents’ Dinner “Uncomfortable.” It’s a word I’ve been thinkingContinue reading ““Uncomfortable””

Good Time

May 1st, 2022 It’s my birthday today. I put on the calendar “write something heart-wrenching, soul-baring, way too much, you know, like you used to” and who am I to argue with the calendar? Living with the problem of addiction means I will always be hungry for more. This remains true in the case ofContinue reading “Good Time”

Second Act

April 13th, 2022 I did the math. If I live as long as my mom did, I already hit middle age at 29. I think about hills. What it’s like to get to the top of one and then roll, fantastically, without fear, down the other side. It’s what I should be doing. Hands upContinue reading “Second Act”