A New Blog

Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads and sat for longer than you should have to figure out what direction to take? Well, welcome to the story of my life. In it, you'll find laughter and love, heartbreak and lies, much like the ingredients of your favorite Thursday night drama series or Saturday Night comedy... depending on which lens you view it from.

I'm starting this blog because I've walked and am walking roads that many before have travelled, and many yet to come shall traverse. It is my hope that through this incessant series of postings and articles you, the reader, will capture a glimpse at a life not all that different from your own or someone you know. The intent is to hopefully enable you to see this adventure and either learn, sympathize, or at the very least be entertained by what you read.

From the outside everyone's life is great. Look at Facebook. We see what people want us to see, and vice-versa. If you look at my FB you'll never see slander or frustration (in a true sense). The worst of my days consist of a long line at the DMV or a wrong fast-food order from Subway. Who among us actually lives with problems that only go so deep? I wish. In reality, our problems are much more dark and frightening; finances, marital issues, depression, addiction, loss, abandonment, loneliness (you get the idea), at least one if not more have affected us since we started our online persona. But how often do we see the true colors of others on Social Media (with the exception of the one or two people we all know that are just real in every aspect)? Sometimes, when we are confronted with the pain of others we instantly compare it to tragedy in our own lives. We think "well, he/she is just a whiner. That's pretty pathetic to post, they must be craving attention. Sad really". Or we think "oh crap that's pretty bad", followed by a "praying for you" colloquial saying or a modification to our profile picture to show our effortless support but immeasurable sympathy. But rarely do we actually stop what we are doing, pick up the phone, and reach out. Rarely do we call out for help, or drive to that person's house, look them in the eye, and say "I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere. We're going to get through this together". Even as you read that last sentence, some of you are thinking "man that'd be the best thing ever". Well why isn't that more normal in our lives?!?

There are at least a bazillion studies done that talk about how this digital dissociative behavior phenomena is causing the rising generation(s) to become introverted socially awkward bound-for-doom-and-gloom adults. As much as I think you can create a statistic to justify pretty much anything you want, there is a point. We do only let people see what we want them to see. Whether it be joy or pain, online it's a choice. We craft every letter of every word to convey perfectly to reflect an exact message while eliminating the spontaneity, tone, inflection, and other non-verbals that speak so much more than words. Even this rant is carefully orchestrated to speak to you in the exact manner in which I wish upon it. You won't find my vulnerability, my personal struggles, my deepest fears, or really get to know my heart, unless you talk to me face-to-face. Because being vulnerable online is too uncomfortable either for the blogger, the reader, or both. It just won't work.

So why the blog then? Well, two reasons:

1) I'll admit that there are personal aspects of my life that I probably won't discuss. But for the most part I think it's important to have messages on the inter-web that aren't focused on shoving an agenda down the throat of John Q. Public. I think it's equally important to share ideas that normal people feel. Sure, it may not be as entertaining as the crazy leftist who wants parents to refer to their children as zhe until they can identify their own sex. It may also not be as entertaining as the crazy rightist who demands that we outlaw Islam and any other language but English in America. What you'll find in my blogs is going to be beyond the ignorant, the extreme, or the overly zealous. For the most part, it will be a breath of fresh air (digitally speaking), where you'll hear stories and thoughts from someone who has travelled a road many have traveled before, and many will continue to travel.

2) Like any well traveled road with many on/off ramps, it's big and it's confusing. Road signs can help. Some are better than others, and some are just downright confusing. But it is my hope that the signs I point out in these blogs based on the roads I've traveled, the on/off ramps I've taken, and through the wrecks I've endured, you will maybe one day (if you haven't already) find them coming in handy along your way.

I'll be starting with a few main series/catagories. Each series will highlight an area that many will be able to relate to as you read the posts. I encourage you to feel free and reach out to me via FB or LinkedIn and message me your thoughts and responses.

Cheers to the future and the reads to come.

-Me