Trust is such a loaded word these days. We’re used to companies delivering scandals. (Politicians, too, for that matter.) It’s common to be cheated on. Parents abuse their kids. Friends who swore loyalty disappear. And the media. Oh, the media.
None of these realities negate the good still in the world. But collectively, they make a pretty impressive argument that people aren’t trustworthy. So, especially as a trauma survivor, I understand if you’re visiting this blog/site and have your guard up. I’d actually be a little surprised if you weren’t skeptical of me.
But I’ve learned two incredibly meaningful things as I’ve developed myself personally and professionally.
The experience you have with one person does not automatically translate to the experience you will have with someone else.
We try to protect ourselves from future pain by plunking people and things into categories according to our experiences. And although it’s true there are some patterns evident in human behavior, each individual is still an individual who is independent from the next.
In that rationale, my hope is that you’ll be able to mentally disconnect me from other people. My desire is that, through all of my content, you’ll have an experience that is radically different than what might have made you skeptical. That means you’ll see consistent themes and stances, as well as a continuous quest to offer uncensored education and opinion. I leave room to shift my beliefs over time as I learn, and I am doing my best to combat the biases and dissonances that lurk in my brain. I’ll admit and pivot where I have been wrong and made mistakes. But where others bend to trends or what’s comfortable, I will not. That is the residue of spending time alone — no one told me what to think, so I learned to think for myself. Prepare to be challenged.
When courage matures, it cannot help but kill silence and become a champion of integrity and truth.
I am not yet as brave as I hope one day to be. But because I know what silence feels like and have seen what it manifests, as a Christian, I am training to pick up my sword (or knife or razor, whatever the job requires) of words and make cuts where it counts. I am obligated to this, not for the purpose of the fight, but because by the fight comes peace, both to myself and others.
Of course, if the point is full authenticity, you will see more than a fight. You’ll see me figure out life and vent and maybe, just maybe, put googly eyes on a can of pork and beans for fun. I want to share the absurd and pleasurable as much as I want to share the serious. You might like some posts and gag at others, and that’s OK. But at least you’ll know there will be more to read, watch, or listen to tomorrow, and I’d like this to be a place where you can watch me test my creativity in different ways and, as a result, feel comfortable enough to test yours.
We’re in this together. Or at least, I invite you to be in it with me. If you’re up for that, click around. Explore. I hope it helps.