Tag: blog post

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Tuesday Poetry: No Escape

I find myself hating everything
No desire to do anything
I don’t want to prep food to cook
Or read a book or watch TV
I just want to walk around and never stop
Just wander to a new place
I’ll eventually hate because
I’ll meet new people but
Never connect with them
I’ll never really know them
They’ll never really know me
And I’ll still be alone
That’s why I never leave
Why go somewhere new to feel alone
When I can feel alone right here
It always happens this time of year
I think of my achievements but
Even they aren’t impressive
Not memorable –
Not much is memorable about me

From the poetry collection Cats, Coffee, Catharsis.

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Coffee and Contemplation: National Suicide Awareness Month

September is National Suicide Awareness Month and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. You never know what other people are going through. Be kind whenever possible; it’s always possible. Maybe this is something you don’t show much concern with because it had never affected you directly. You never know who in your life may decide to take their life. Even if you think someone is self-harming because they want attention, that doesn’t make their pain less valid. Existence is pain. Sometimes that pain is overwhelming. We can overcome that pain if we seek help from both professionals and from people in our lives.

If you’re hurting, or think your life is meaningless, there are plenty of places to seek help. If this post speaks to you, I want you to leave a comment. I may not respond, but if you feel alone, look at some of the other comments. Many people, hundreds of thousands, feel the same about their lives. You’re not alone because so many people have the same feelings. Reading articles from TheMighty.com helped me when I was looking for some comfort. I felt people there were in the same boat and I felt less alone. I’m sharing the resources listed on The Mighty website below.

Suicide Prevention Resources

If you are feeling suicidal, there is hope. 

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. 

You can reach the Crisis Text Line 24/7 by texting “START” to 741-741. 

You can call The Trevor Project, an LGBT crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline, 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386.

You can call Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 if you live in the U.S. Call 877-330-6366 if you live in Canada.

To find local resources in your area, visit To Write Love On Her Arms.

If you are hard of hearing, you can chat with a Lifeline counselor 24/7 by clicking the Chat button on this page, or you can contact the Lifeline via TTY by dialing 800-799-4889.

To speak to a crisis counselor in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454.

If you are a veteran (or your loved one is a veteran), you can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling  1-800-273-8255 and Pressing 1. You can also send a text to 838255.

Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.

For additional resources, see the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education).

You can read the following stories from people who’ve been there (from The Mighty):

And for additional messages of hope, click here. 

You are not alone.  

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World Beard Day

Yes, that’s my beard in the photo.

The first Saturday of September is World Beard Day. The description on WBD website is humorous to say the least. As a member of bearded community, this is the first time I’ve heard about this international holiday. I’ve grown a beard for many years. I prefer how my face looks with one versus cleanshaven. In recent years beards and manbuns have become trendy. But I remember a time when beards where no so popular. People still had then but it wasn’t trendy. I had facial of some kind since I was about 14. I had a full beard by 16 and it looked nice and thick by 18. 

Fast forward to 2014 when beards became trendy. Everyone accused me of trying to be hip by having a beard. Never mind that I had grown a beard for the last ten years. I like to tell people I had a beard before it was cool. I do think everyone should try growing a beard once in their life. Try different versions as they are so many. More often than not I keep my trimmed short. I may grow it slightly longer by fractions of an inch. But I’ve never had the ZZ Top beard. As I write this, I realize I need to trim my beard again.

Face masks have made me lazier with beard grooming as most people never see it. That is the only negative thing I have to say about face masks. If you partake in the bearded-ness, share some photos. It can be a fake beard. I don’t care. As long as it’s not a glitter beard. This is a glitter beard free zone.

Here’s a link to a poem I posted a few weeks ago about my beard.
I Grew a Beard Before it was Cool