August 2012

Get Well, Eddie Van Halen

August 31, 2012 Music therapy

Funny thing about life: Just when everything is humming along and all is right with the world, something devastating comes along and kicks your ass back to the stone age. So it seems to be with guitarist Edward Van Halen. Mood music:  Stay FrostyVan HalenA Different Kind Of Truth Last winter, Van Halen released its [...]

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The Five Colors of the Anxiety Rainbow

August 29, 2012 Fear and anxiety

I broke free from fear-based anxiety a long time ago. But I still have episodes of anxiety. We all do, and it’s usually when we have trouble sorting through our emotions. To get a better handle on it, I’ve been trying to label the different kinds of anxiousness based on the colors of a rainbow. [...]

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Update on Dad

August 28, 2012 Family

Thanks to everyone who left prayers for Dad on my Facebook page yesterday, and thanks to my sister-in-law Robin for dropping everything to watch the kids so Erin and I could go to the hospital last night. Mood music:  Pray For MeSixx: A.M.The Heroin Diaries Dad had emergency surgery last night for a malfunctioning heart. [...]

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A Bittersweet Birthday

August 27, 2012 Family

I felt very loved yesterday as we celebrated my 42nd birthday. Erin and the kids got me a guitar and practice amp, and we had an afternoon of grilling and enjoying the sun with some of my closest friends. My father was there too, but he wasn’t looking well. Mood music:  Immortality – 2011 RemasterPearl [...]

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Empire State Shootings Bring Back Old Fears, Timeless Lessons

August 24, 2012 Fear and anxiety

The shooting spree outside the Empire State Building this morning reminds me of the mind-numbing fear I used to carry inside me every day — the feelings of dread that kept me indoors, away from the life I should have been living. It also reminds me of some critical lessons I’ve learned from my experiences. [...]

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Older But More Alive

August 24, 2012 Gratitude

Sunday is my 42nd birthday, which happens near a bunch of other birthdays in the family and at work. Inevitably, when discussing this, someone admits they’re depressed about being a year older. Mood music:  AlivePearl JamTen I have a different outlook, which is that when you reach another year without having dropped dead, that’s cause [...]

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What I Learned On My Summer Vacation

August 23, 2012 Family

The headline is a bit misleading. The kids had the summer off, but Erin and I were as busy with work as ever. Still, we did a lot of summery stuff and, with the kids back in school next week, I thought a recap of our experiences and what I learned from them might be [...]

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Lost in the Overeaters Anonymous Wilderness

August 22, 2012 Addiction

I’ve explained how food is my addiction — an uncool addiction at that. I’ve written about how Overeaters Anonymous (OA) was my salvation from that addiction. And I’ve told you I’ve been living the 12 Steps of Recovery. Now it’s time to tell you about my summer of going astray, and how I don’t completely regret [...]

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Time to Make Music Again

August 21, 2012 Music therapy

When asked what I want for my birthday, I usually say nothing. I don’t want people spending money on me, and I don’t want to be greedy. But this time, with my 42nd birthday only days away, I asked the family for something specific: an acoustic-electric guitar. Mood music:  Over My HeadKing’s XGretchen Goes To [...]

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Oh, The Guilt

August 20, 2012 Mental health

I’ve always been driven by guilt. I used to hide it because with guilt comes shame and with shame comes deceit. In more recent years, however, I’ve tried to use it to become a better man. Results are mixed. Mood music:  Oh The GuiltNirvanaSliver – The Best Of The Box My inability to process guilt [...]

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