Winter, Downtown New York City, 1989
Eric sat in a small rundown apartment with a fallen light bulb dangling from two wires in the middle of the ceiling and hanging over a cluttered coffee table filled with old crumpled paper bags, an overflowing ashtray with mashed cigarettes, empty beer bottles, empty Continue reading
I was telling you about one of my theories the other day. I have a new one now. I call this one my Penicillin Theory. It came to me when I was looking at one of my pill bottles in the medicine cabinet last night.
The pills inside are pink and somewhat large. The doctor’s name is irrelevant and so is much of the information on the label itself. The only thing important here is the medication, which in this case is Amoxicillin, and the directions, were that I take this medication two times per day for ten days or until the medication was finished. Did I follow these directions?
Well, kinda . . .
I was sick as a dog the other week. I hadn’t been sick like this in a long time. Moreover, I haven’t had strep throat in more than a decade. My throat was soar. My body was achy. I had a fever and while Continue reading
Dudley Moore once said, “I never learned anything from anyone that totally agreed with me all the time. . .”
I learned about this quote the other day while studying different motivational interviewing skills. I started thinking about my path and whether I was open or closed minded. Well, this is what I came up with
We are all taught Continue reading
A lot happened since my last letter to you. In fact, so much has happened in a short amount of time, I’m not even sure where to begin. I don’t even know how to describe it and fit it all in one note.
I’m learning more and more that there are things I cannot say any longer. Each day, I learn more about the meaning behind the words we use and how we seem to forget that everything we say has meaning. No matter how loosely we use a word or how we choose to use our them; Continue reading
I have been thinking a lot about the plans I’ve been working on for the last few months. I was thinking about us and the way we were as kids. I was thinking about the help we had and the help we never received. Then I started to wonder if anyone cares anymore, —and what I mean is I mean I wonder if anyone cares enough to open their eyes to see more than what appears to be the surface level or the obvious. What I mean by that is I wonder if anyone cares enough to try a different way, —to look a bit deeper than before and step away from the Continue reading
It’s hardest when they are young and they see themselves a grown up, living a full-grown adult’s life, thinking they know everything, and believing this without any doubt; meanwhile, the truth is they have only been speaking in full complete sentences for a little more than a decade. Meanwhile, less than a decade ago, they watched cartoons (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and they believed in things like The Easter Bunny, Santa, and the tooth fairy. They know it all; meanwhile, they don’t see what we see. No, they see through the eyes of self-preservation.
It’s hardest when trying to work Continue reading
Dear America,
I was thinking about the way we were back when I was a youngster and walking to school in the morning. Sure, we all had our problems. We all had our differences too and regardless to how divided we may Continue reading
Over the last several months, I have been reaching out to different people and different coalitions about an issue that is very important and personal to me. To list the issue is unimportant and to advertise the names of those involved or to list the coalitions involved is equally unimportant, and therefore by mentioning them it would only place honor names that are otherwise undeserving of my time.
The only thing I see deserving of mention is the dedication and strength of those who continue to fight in a battle that seems unwinnable Continue reading
Finally, I have a chance to breathe.
Late night and New York City streetlights stand tall over an otherwise empty corner near Lexington and 43rd.
(I’m sure you know the place)
The summertime in the city is different to me somehow and as I stand, staring up at the Chrysler across from Grand Central Station, I lower my view to watch a herd of out-of-towners, dressed in their city best, and Continue reading
I spent most of the day and all of my money on little plastic capsules that contained tiny white flakes and a terrible addiction. The sun had gone down and the roads were wet from a cold winter’s rain. The streetlamps and occasional headlights from passing cars glistened against the black pavement on the street. And when the wind came, the traffic lights swayed with the colors of red, yellow, or green and reflected against the slick pavement near Green Avenue and Front Street.
Front Street is somewhat of a Continue reading
The Written Addiction 