Someone Told Me I Should Start a Journal
Only the first genius alcoholic intrusive thought of the day:
(As I doom scroll through Facebook...)
(A conversation.)
Alcoholic Self: Any United States citizen that does not feel like I do right now is just plain wrong. What the f*** is wrong with you? I mean… What happened, who hurt you?
Alcoholic Self: That’s the one, I’ll post that one right to FB, I am the resistance! I am also pure compassion, love and light. Liberal snowflake mic drop in 3…2…
Alcoholic Self: Ummmmmm, maybe wait a minute. We should find a good photo for that, little f-you type attention grabber that “speaks” to certain folks. Simmer down for just a minute…
Alcoholic Self: You genius.
Whole Self: Scrolling, scrolling through photos…
Sober Self: Are we really so self absorbed that we can convince ourselves we have the ultimate perfect right answer for all of the US or all of humanity even? Like-the people in our house, I’m not even sure about those guys? And do we really want to present ourselves to the people we know and love with a spicy f-you image…who do we think we are? Love and light? A f****** unicorn? Didn’t you just say that?
Alcoholic Self: Yes. And proud of it. I am a Facebook genius, a social media maven even! Eat the rich!!
Sober Self: Big Book…Big Book… Shakespeare… I don’t know what is right for me or anyone else…main character energy…what is your spiritual condition right now?
Alcoholic Self: Shit.
Whole Self: I could start writing on Substack. It could be like a daily reprieve. Just not on the daily though…hmmm…
A Self: You f****** genius. Progress not perfection baby!
Because We’re All Screaming Into the Void
Just admit it, you know you are. My Void and your Void may look a little different on the surface - but the Void is the Void all the same. I believe you and I are far more alike than we are different, AND - I need a space to arrange my screaming so that it makes sense. I figure some folks might want to make some sense of their own screaming too. There is nothing at all so unique about my human experience that I can claim to be alone in the world. Thank God.
I just thought maybe we could scream together. And maybe if we do, it would become less of a cry of solitary desperation and more like a rallying cry for compassion.
If You Didn’t Know, You Are Strong as New Rope
Someone I greatly admire and respect said this to me during a particularly difficult time in my life. I lean on it quite often. More often these days than I care to count.
The best thing (to me anyway) about rope is the multiple strand part, every strand adding to the strength and stability of the whole. There is a whole TED Talk there on collaboration and community although I’m sure you’ve seen the short version on social media so I will spare you my own long winded sermon.
The point is - I want to create a space for folks like me and folks not as much like me to collaborate, encourage one another, ask for help and highlight the work they are doing or want to do to benefit their neighbors and communities. I will forever believe that we belong to one another. There’s a whole lot going on and a whole lot more to come and ultimately, I want to talk about it!
Here’s an Incomplete List
I’m going to talk (a whole lot) about Substance Use Disorder and Alcoholism and Recovery. Count on that.
I will also be talking about the system of oppression in EKY that is essentially Big Coal.
I am going to share and talk about the work I currently do. And the work I want to do. I’ll also talk a bit about the work I used to do and how it brought me here.
I am going to share and talk about the work my small group of friends and collaborators are also doing. Folks like my good friend Odell Hager, VOCAL-KY, Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, Appalshop and Dream.Org and many, many more. (See Odell below.)
I will talk about politics. (Because have you SEEN the bills these local politicians are filing right now? Some of those being huge leaps toward progress and relief for Kentucky families - and some of them not worth the paper they are written on.)
I will share resources. As many as I can and as often as I can.
I will be authentic and transparent to the point that we are ALL uncomfortable, not just me.
I will have plenty to say about a plethora of other things and we’ll just wait and see how that lands I reckon. I am committing to one post weekly, but you just never know, I can talk the legs off a caterpillar.
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So if you’re here and you want to follow along, there’s a button for that. I’ll leave the subscription pitch for another time, but there’s a button for that too.
Love you big!
-Beck