Marriage and relationships

I Pity The Fool — Especially When The Fool Is Me

by Bill Brenner April 10, 2012 Communication Skills

“I don’t know how much more I can take.” I’ve told myself that a million times, as I’m sure you have. We say it in times of desperation, pain and blueness. But here’s an uncomfortable truth — Sometimes we like feeling this way. Mood music: There’s something about feeling bad for oneself that’s so satisfying. Maybe it’s that on some level you’ve made peace with your seemingly miserable existence. It helps us get through a…  [Read More]

In Marriage, Communication Gets Tougher As You Get Older

by Bill Brenner February 16, 2012 Communication Skills

I’ve never been good at the Valentine’s Day thing. Maybe I’m fulfilling the male stereotype, or maybe it’s because I feel more pressure to express myself. I do fine with written words. In person is another thing. When the holiday passed I Iet out a big exhale. Mood music: The fact of the matter is that I have a lot of love in my heart right now. I don’t need a holiday to feel it, though Valentine’s…  [Read More]

Gisele Bundchen Ain’t My Cup ‘O Joe, But I Give Her A Pass On This One

by Bill Brenner February 7, 2012 Fitness

My interest in football is minimal. I love a good story of athletes overcoming the odds and showing us that anything’s possible. In that regard, Tom Brady is a hell of a role model. I’m also not a fan of the Patriots quarterback’s wife, Gisele Bundchen. Mood music: It’s nothing personal. The world of professional modeling and fashion bores me, except for the occasional episode of Project Runway. And that’s just to see the train wrecks. As…  [Read More]

Do I Think About My Disease 24-7?

by Bill Brenner January 4, 2012 Addiction

Someone recently asked if I think about my disease 24-7 and, if so, whether doing so is perilous to those around me. In this case, the disease is OCD and the addictions that go with it. Mood music: Let me try to take a stab at addressing that: I don’t think my disease should define me and keep me in a box. But it’s also a major part of who I am and how I…  [Read More]

Another Brick In The Wall

by Bill Brenner January 3, 2012 Depression

I’ve tried hard to demolish the wall I hide behind when my mind isn’t right. But whenever I think I’ve made progress, shit happens and I find it’s taller and thicker than ever. Mood music: My latest mood swing has me thinking hard about how I allow this to happen. Far as I can tell, I do make progress, but then I take my eye off the wrecking ball and the wall rebuilds itself when I’m…  [Read More]

‘No Man Is A Failure Who Has Friends’

by Bill Brenner December 26, 2011 Depression

Part of the holiday tradition around here is a viewing of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The ending used to make me sad, because it seemed to sum up what was missing in my life. For a long time, I didn’t feel like I had any friends. It was nobody’s fault. I had crawled so far inside myself that I chose dozing off on the couch with the TV remote in my hand over going outside…  [Read More]

THE OCD DIARIES, Two Years Later

by Bill Brenner December 7, 2011 Addiction

Two years ago today, in a moment of Christmas-induced depression, I started this blog. I meant for it to be a place where I could go and spill out the insanity in my head so I could carry on with life. In short order, it snowballed into much more than that. Mood music: http://youtu.be/IKpEoRlcHfA About a year into my recovery from serious mental illness and addiction — the most uncool, unglamorous addiction at that — I started…  [Read More]

A Word About Christmas Gifts

by Bill Brenner December 2, 2011 Faith

Every year, when family members ask me what I want for Christmas, I’m always at a loss for words. I don’t really care about getting presents, though I love to give them. Mood music: But there are some non-material things I wish for: –That this Christmas season I’ll be free of the blues that almost always plague me this time of year. –That some old friends who have lost someone special this year find peace…  [Read More]

When Being Smart Becomes A Burden

by Bill Brenner November 30, 2011 Children's issues

Our oldest has an intellect well beyond his 10 years. He absorbs details with little effort and I can’t remember the last time he DIDN’T achieve high honors. But sometimes I forget that he’s still a kid. Mood music: He likes to tell us he’s a tween. To that, I tell him he’s more like a half tween. But he is mighty mature for his age, nothing like the immature, messed up kid I was…  [Read More]

Keeping Up With The Joneses

by Bill Brenner November 29, 2011 Children's issues

It’s not how big your house is. It’s the souls inside that make it a home. Erin and I have had frequent discussions about what it might be like to own a larger home. Our 1300-square-foot townhouse has served us well for more than a decade. But there’s always that desire to have what others have. Mood music: [spotify:track:1gmPJL4u6Jv1oTZEQyDlfw] The discussion usually starts with everything that needs fixing around here: A hole in the kitchen…  [Read More]

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