Let me Grow to Maturity in Missouri

This morning I sat curled up in the fetal position, in an old wooden chair, in an unfamiliar place, having Thai tea instead of my normal morning coffee/protein shake. In the midst of all this unknown, I was awed by the beauty all around me. I thought for a second, maybe this is what growth [...]

Meandering Down the Path of Wonder

Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if a certain thing never happened or you had never met a certain person or if you were somewhere else at a specific time? I think this is natural right? To wonder about how things could have been different. But, for some of us we [...]

Uninhibited Emotional Vulnerability

I wrote this on this day 4 years ago: "I sometimes wonder if having moments of uninhibited emotional vulnerability (or just complete raw honesty) with/at/towards people is a mistake, if people don't know what to do with that kind of openness or just don't actually want that much honesty. If those are things best left [...]

Sanctuary from a Dim World

Sometimes even the brightest lights don't shine quite as brightly as they usually do. Even the sun is obscured today, making for a world that is literally and figuratively dim. The fog has been acting as a thick blanket this week, effectively erasing tall buildings, cars, people. It's a strange experience of the world. My [...]

Finding My Voice

"Why English? The other day during an interview I was asked, "Why English?". I gave the standard "I love reading. I'm good at research. I've always been pretty drawn to writing." Not lies. Not the truth. I had never really considered why I chose English before; it was just something I did, not a choice [...]

Friendship in the Tsunami of Sadness

Today the weather matches my mood. I am a tsunami of Sadness. I am, quite frankly suicidal in the has a plan and could act on it kind of way. Today I contemplated suicide in a way more serious than I have in ages. Had it not been for the consistent company of my best [...]

Today: A Gun in Our School

Today a kid brought a BB gun to the school where I teach. Fortunately, it wasn't a "real" gun and fortunately he was caught, though I'm sure he didn't intend to do any damage. I think it was for the accolades, though it concerns me that this would be an action taken to receive accolades. [...]

I am not a single story

I am not every negative thing that has happened to me or been said about me. I am a patchwork girl. I am pieced together from fragments of memories, experiences, and stories. I have been created by all the people I’ve ever loved or hated. And all the people who have loved and hated me. In [...]

The Demons Inside Us

A fellow blogger recently drew her "monster" as a part of her therapy homework (I believe) and it inspired me to do a bit of my own drawing (as I've felt like something has been off all day, just unsettled). I grew up in a ridiculously religious household and was always told demons were the [...]