Published indata-driven fiction·PinnedMember-onlyRan — Chapter OneA Note to the Reader This work of fiction includes a character with Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome. Down syndrome is not a monolithic condition. Like every other person, people with Down syndrome are idiosyncratic. This is not a caricature meant to represent all people with Trisomy 21…Writing12 min readWriting12 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyJoy In A DesertThoughts on moving forward after trauma — Going through the worst time in one’s life teaches lessons that sit below the surface. In the subcutaneous parts of ourselves that are not overwhelmed by the pain of what happens through our façade, there exist cells that we need to find…Healing3 min readHealing3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyLife Lessons Learned LatelySome simple truths that emerged from chaos — When life scatters your ashes before you get to be a phoenix, there is a distinct time when the incongruity of all you are and have been is disassembled. It’s disorienting and frightening to be broken apart. It can seem like there is no structure to being a person and…Mindfulness3 min readMindfulness3 min read
Published indata-driven fiction·PinnedMember-onlyThin WallsShort fiction — The carpet in the closet always felt cooler to the touch than in his bedroom, especially in the balm of summer. The wispy fibers that weren’t worn down by the daily tread were upright and softer, too. When he laid his head down and his ear pressed into the floor…Short Story4 min readShort Story4 min read
PinnedMember-onlyThe Girl On The GrassShort fiction — When I saw her again she was getting high behind the fraternity houses. She was standing by a tree, walking around it in circles to avoid the spray of the rotating lawn sprinkler. Her timing was excellent. The entire action looked synchronized and reasonable. Her hair was in a glamorous…Relationships11 min readRelationships11 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·May 19Member-onlyAn Introvert Rethinks Social RejectionThe opportunity cost of not taking risks — Loneliness is an epidemic and one that is fairly modern in its current context. Covid reset many of our lives and for introverts who were granted the blessing and curse of working remotely, isolation can be an insidious problem. The paradise of being alone can easily overextend itself into feeling…Self Improvement4 min readSelf Improvement4 min read
May 9Member-onlyThe Dead WoodShort fiction — The building that was referred to as “the shed” was actually the old garage for a long-gone tractor that once worked the fields to the south of the house. The slats of wood that lined the outer walls of the shed were so devoured by time and age that even…Short Story4 min readShort Story4 min read
May 6Member-onlyThe Good Men of GodShort fiction — When she looked in the mirror, she had to acknowledge the reflection was not a girl. It was a dark-haired woman, and that seemed rushed. The change from last summer was not subtle nor was it coerced, but it had arrived. Her old t-shirts that hung innocuously off her collar…Fiction6 min readFiction6 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·May 5Member-onlyWhy Therapy Doesn’t Work For NarcissistsTherapy. It’s great. Everyone should do it. Why? Because it offers an opportunity to heal, grow, and understand oneself better. If you’ve been through some heavy things and you need to unpack how it affected you, having a trusted professional to guide you through the journey is paramount. So why…Narcissism3 min readNarcissism3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·May 5Member-onlyNarcissistic Abuse Is PredictableThey just keep playing the hits — There are tactics that narcissists use to try and hurt other people. It isn’t an infinite setlist of tunes; it’s the same boring choruses over and over. Here are the top four dependable favorites they employ when you try to leave the relationship: Financial abuse — They will steal your…Narcissism3 min readNarcissism3 min read
