Bill Brenner

Accused Haverhill Church Vandal Needs Help, Not Hate

by Bill Brenner January 15, 2015 News

Over the holidays, there was much outrage over the news that someone stole the Baby Jesus figure from a Nativity scene at Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill, leaving a severed pig’s head in its place. I was among those offended and troubled. It happened on Christmas morning and had all the hallmarks of a hateful act. A lot of people speculated that it was a hate crime. My guess at the time was that it…  [Read More]

My Problem with “One Day at a Time”

by Bill Brenner January 13, 2015 Compulsive behaviors

“One day at a time? You wouldn’t believe the crap that swirls around my head one day at a time.”–Anonymous Recovering addicts have a saying burned into their brains: “one day at a time.” It’s important wisdom to live by. But when the recovering addict has OCD, there’s a big problem. Mood music: In the world of 12-step recovery programs, the idea of “one day at a time” is not to be overwhelmed. Instead of…  [Read More]

Brother Lives on in a Nephew He Never Met

by Bill Brenner January 12, 2015 The stormy past

Thirty-one years ago this week, my older brother Michael died at age 17. I felt the need to write something to mark the anniversary. But to be honest, I didn’t know what to say. Part of that is because I wrote the whole “how his death affected me” post three years ago in “Death of a Sibling.” I also delved into the lighter memories — the outrageous and hilarious shit he used to pull —…  [Read More]

EddieTheYeti’s Images, My Words: Chapter 1

by Bill Brenner January 7, 2015 Coping tools

I’ve been releasing posts as part of a project where I put my feelings to images created by artist and infosec pro Eddie Mize, more popularly known as EddieTheYeti. The project will continue indefinitely, but here’s a compilation of what’s been done so far. Think of it as chapter 1. Mood music: EddieTheYeti: Art as Mental Therapy I sucked at a lot of things as a kid, but I could draw. It was the one thing…  [Read More]

Homeless Veterans and American Hypocrisy

by Bill Brenner January 6, 2015 Courage

The band Five Finger Death Punch has a new video for the song “Wrong Side of Heaven,” which focuses on the plight of homeless veterans. It struck a chord with me. Mood music: I’m not a veteran, but I have scores of friends and colleagues who are. They are respected and thriving. But there are many who aren’t so lucky. The plight of homeless veterans is an old story, and it highlights American hypocrisy. We have…  [Read More]

Do You Even Exercise, Bro?

by Bill Brenner January 5, 2015 Physical Health

I used to exercise a lot. In my teens, I’d spend an hour a day on a beat-up rowing machine. In my 20s, I’d hit the gym seven days a week to use the elliptical cross-trainer machines. And in my early 30s, I’d walk 3.5 miles a day, no matter the weather. At some point I stopped. Mood music: I don’t have a good reason why I stopped exercising. I told myself that I was…  [Read More]

Cut Toxic People Loose

by Bill Brenner January 2, 2015 Coping tools

We all have dysfunctional friends and family. In some respects, they add color and fun to our lives. But sometimes you find yourself up against that special someone who constantly complains about others and puts you down. We want to accept the latter as much as we accept the former. But there’s a problem. Mood music: The latter group — we’ll call them the toxic people — rub off on you. Their toxic tirades seep…  [Read More]

2015: Five Goals

by Bill Brenner January 1, 2015 Inspiration

A lot of unpleasant stuff happened in 2014. I busted my back, slid back into the grip of old demons and spent the fall in a depressed fog. But a lot of beautiful things happened, too. I racked up many precious memories of time well spent with family and friends. My work continued to be full of satisfaction and reward. I expect much the same for 2015. But like everyone else, I have my New Year’s goals. Mood…  [Read More]

The Sister Who Saved Her Family

by Bill Brenner December 28, 2014 Family

My youngest sister, Shira Beth Brenner, was born 29 years ago today, sending rays of sunshine into a house that was in darkness. You might think it’s hyperbole for me to say she saved the family. We were surviving, after all. But we were surviving badly, reeling from the death of my brother barely two years before. Shira helped us smile again. Mood music: I was a bitter 15-year-old home sick with the flu and a Crohn’s…  [Read More]

Don’t Sweat That Christmas Pageant Performance, Kid

by Bill Brenner December 26, 2014 Adventures in writing

My kids participated in a Christmas Eve pageant at our church, and a highlight for me was one girl’s performance of the song, “Mary Did You Know.” The young lady’s performance made my neck hairs stand up. I saw her sing it twice: Christmas Eve, and at a rehearsal the night before. During the Christmas Eve performance, she sang a bit too high toward the end. She still sounded awesome. But she was pretty upset. As…  [Read More]

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