Category: Human Condition

Essays about the human endurement.

On the Nature of Happiness

In the pursuit of happiness we find ourselves chasing after many things: the right relationship partner, the dream job, the perfect home, the best vehicle, the latest tech gadget, but upon receipt of any of these things we merely find a short-lived excitement, a… Continue Reading “On the Nature of Happiness”

Online Etiquette

We’ve all seen it online and most of us have probably done it: committing a social faux pas in the comments section of social media posts, YouTube videos, news articles, and forums. Though we’ve had centuries of revolving lessons on an ever-evolving modern social… Continue Reading “Online Etiquette”

A Safe Place to Call Home: The Childhood Trauma of Growing Up LGBTQ+ in Small-Town America

I have lived in Osage County, Missouri my whole life, my family has done so for generations. Many, if not most, of the people who live here would tell you that they feel like they can be themselves, live the life they want, that… Continue Reading “A Safe Place to Call Home: The Childhood Trauma of Growing Up LGBTQ+ in Small-Town America”

20 Years Later

20 Years Later:A Letter to a Lost Teenager There is so much I wish that I could have told you, so much that I wish I could have done for you. If only I could travel through time to 2002 and be a part… Continue Reading “20 Years Later”

Music & Mental Health: A Path to Recovery

It was the spring of 2021 when I was first introduced to Oliver Daldry‘s music via a U.K. 2015 film titled Departure. At the time, I had quit my job a couple months prior and I was in a low point mentally, struggling with… Continue Reading “Music & Mental Health: A Path to Recovery”

Long December

Long December Another long December has come again, another year of trying to forget the way you made me feel, another year of trying to forgive myself for what I let happen, another year of searching for ways to finally heal. Another long December… Continue Reading “Long December”

The Power of Purpose, Meaning, and Fulfillment

In my late teens and early twenties I knew what it meant to have a sense of purpose, but what I didn’t know was just how powerful its effect really was on my life. My discharge on January 11, 2008, was the first day… Continue Reading “The Power of Purpose, Meaning, and Fulfillment”

World Suicide Prevention Day

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day! Some of us have had suicidal thoughts in the past. Some of us are currently having suicidal thoughts. Some of us have put those thoughts into actions and have had abandoned attempts. Some of us have fully attempted… Continue Reading “World Suicide Prevention Day”

We Are Not the Burden, We Carry the Burden

I would like to share some personal things about myself that I have been experiencing as of late, just in case others can relate. First though, I want to provide some context for why I decided to share my recent experiences. In June, I… Continue Reading “We Are Not the Burden, We Carry the Burden”

Social Media, Psychopathy, and Time Management

In May 2009 I joined Twitter, two months later I deleted my account, and now twelve years after that I have rejoined the quagmire of Twitter for one single reason: it’s the only place where I can follow the vast majority of authors, scientists, philosophers,… Continue Reading “Social Media, Psychopathy, and Time Management”