#BeReal- Greg Gerardy

I didn’t get a chance to ask Greg’s permission to add this to my website but he’s been busy running in The Great World Race. I’ve known him since elementary school just living in the periphery of social media all these years. I read his GoFundMe tonight and well… gosh. I’ll let you read it…

#BeReal – KERRY KIJEWSKI

Kerry Kijewski has been a #BeReal guest before a few times. I started this series years ago to highlight real people doing real people things.  In a world that shares AI in a way that exaggerates reality everyday it might be more important than ever to keep it real. Kerry just had an article published…

#BeReal MATTHEW MATTOCKS

Hello my friends. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted a new #BeReal piece but I met Matthew Mattocks and wanted you to meet him too. I’ve been Facebook friends with Matthew for many years. He was and is a friend to a few of my good friends. I recently joined him with my friends…

IMPORTANT TO US

A GUEST POEM BY Byron Hamel They force you into theseLittle rowsIndustrial linoleumWorn down to bedrockWhere you waitUntil they are as urgent as you areAbout the death and mayhemPlease wait calmlyWhile the world caves inAnd you stay at the bottomIf you liveThey caught me cryingThis time about Hiroshima and NagasakiI’d been in the middle of…

DELUDED

It’s strange to me Looking back now At the way I was I felt confident Shimmery Or like A disco ball Breathing colors On every surface I felt magical Like a unicorn With pretty clothes And glittery makeup Totally deluded By my own Optical illusions

COURTEOUS GOODWILL

I’ve had a few hard weeks. Sleep has been hard. My knee is kinda a wreck. I see hurting people everywhere and I hate that. I want the world to be healthier and happier. But sigh… it’s a naive hope. It wasn’t too long ago though that I couldn’t see past my own pains. My…

URGENT

Life won’t matter once it’s gone so it HAS to matter now. I remember the exact moment it felt like everything in my life changed. It was like a strange shift. A falling through floors. As if destiny was reaching out urging me to take its hand. To be honest, that night was blurry as…

THE PAIN OF PERFECTION

I realized recently much of my anxiety was attached to a feeling that I needed to be perfect. Act perfectly in all things. I know logically there is no such thing. I mean I KNOW that. But I don’t think my heart ever got that message. I must execute plans perfectly. I must do exactly…

YOU WILL BREAK… over and over again

Zumba class used to be my happy place. Several times a week I would walk into this class and I’d forget about all the hard things in my life. Fun music, people sweating and laughing. We literally looked like we had taken a group shower when we were done. It felt so good. The instructor…