Erin and I were talking last night about the often shaky relationship between copy editors and writers. We writers tend to see copy editors as nitpickers who just want to make our lives harder. Copy editors tend to see writers as spoiled brats. But what happens when the writer is in the grip of OCD? …
I have a few friends who are in crisis these days, making my own struggles seem trivial. Talking to them is a lot like living in the Twilight Zone. I’m used to being self absorbed. Mood music: [spotify:track:7bv9wNXN3FHKMRTMdi48fL] I have to admit something: I’m not that good at being there for others. Lord knows I …
Welcome to week four of this new tradition of mine: Giving the nod to some of my Facebook friends for giving my spirits a lift and teaching me new things. A reminder on what this is about: There’s a thing we do on Twitter called Follow Friday, where we list people we follow and suggest others do …
I used to have this dumb, ego-driven idea that I was better than people who did things for work that were “beneath me.” Here’s how I learned to stop being stupid. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG1FlsgLQQY&fs=1&hl=en_US] The lesson came from an obvious place that wasn’t so obvious once upon a time: God. I expected a lightening flash …
This post is about something I should have told someone 14 years ago — a long overdue nod of appreciation. Mood music: [spotify:track:13SlzLb33cggKzAeeLONts] When someone commits suicide, the guilt-stricken survivors obsess about why they didn’t catch on to their loved one’s depression sooner so they could have helped. That was me after my friend Sean …
In church we hear the word Grace a lot. But it’s taken me a long time to get what it really means. I’m still working on that. But here’s what I got so far. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puGGaFdyx5g&fs=1&hl=en_US] I like to think of Grace as the treasures I don’t deserve. I have many of those. If …
I’m back from a very powerful, emotionally draining weekend. It was absolutely wonderful. I came closest as I ever have to crying a few times. More on that later. For now, here’s the talk I gave Saturday morning. I’ve embedded no links and all typos and rough edges are included. I’m sure you’ll give me …
Continue reading “Back in the Real World, Emotionally Drained”
Two years ago yesterday, I went on my last binge. Actually, it was more like reaching the end of a final, two-month long binge. The abstinent and sober life hasn’t been perfect by any stretch. But it beats the hell out of where I was at the start. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pdQ3z1Ji8U&fs=1&hl=en_US] Appropriately, I’m leading an …
One of my security friends thinks she needs to delete her social network accounts because she lacks social skills. She tends to offend people sometimes, you see, and she wants to go away until she can learn to behave. Though admirable, it’s a bad idea for lots of reasons. At the height of my mental …
Continue reading “Run Out of Town (Or Off Facebook, Twitter)”
Sometimes God puts certain people in your life to show you how you’re screwing up and how to fix it. Sometimes, these guardian angels are disguised as people who need YOUR help. This post is about one such man. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyb7dt9nz_g&fs=1&hl=en_US] In 12-Step programs anonymity is a big deal, especially in OA, because there’s …
