The appreciativeness for the here and now, before the curtain falls.

This narrative journey charges a hefty sum.

Leading with intention, even when shit blows up in my face.

A four-page excerpt from my book coming out this week. Here I explain to my children why am I writing them this book, and why now?

How I, we, us, come up short.

Writing a book with Sarah Young...losing weeks of writing...starting over, and hybrid publishing.

Stuck? Depressed? Needing change? Wanting a new life? Well then, how?

Here I get real. Hyper-F'ing real and bare all. I hold back nothing.

How do we carry our hardship and if helping, what can we do or do not for others stuck in their own little hell? Hence forthcoming, my blog novella is not for the faint of heart, and sans the potty-mouth bowdlerization, just sayin’.

News and such.

Tough as I am, at times my lofty self-fabrications reign supreme, not to be defeated or bettered awhile.

What I own is what’s important, the rest is just borrowed.

Shit I do right, shit I do not.

Charles is an educated and well-spoken man who once toured with the Grateful Dead, and now as a twice-incarcerated black man in an unjust American struggles with a piece of homelessness.

Post-Thanksgiving Day catchup: grateful, thankful, and pie.

TJ and I are both addicts and have seen a lot of hard shit, while learning some invaluable life lessons.

Comparing ourselves to ourselves, not others. Find our purpose, our personal truths, some blabber about striving, competing and the balance between inner freedom and gaining acceptance to fuel our dirty ego.

Keeping up with the Joneses, working towards our true potential versus getting snagged by our worst self. Learning life lessons through experimentation, righteousness, rigidness, self-sabotage, heroin, meth, coke, acid, pills, pot and alcohol.

Quitter, us as low-life piece of shit humans, homelessness, large L for Loser, and me as a high-school dropout. Staying comfortable in the pain and misery of life. Drug rehab and drug recovery. My 32-year clean time versus TJ’s 6-months clean.

Why do we use, why are we addicts? Putting forth our best effort to make a difference in the world. Being ok with rejection. We are free to be who we want to be, so why don’t we do it? Finding the courage and willingness to change.

Sporting the perm mullet, poetry, writing, meditation, mindfulness, finding community, finding our own personal path and all the glorious possibilities in front of us.

Hard Times, Hope, and the Rollercoaster Puzzle Game

Hello Missing Persons… Yes, I would like to report an absent bird.

Matt Halpern, savvy and accomplished businessman at the age of 38, ridiculously disciplined since four years old, and hyper-talented with his varied pursuits. A legit rockstar drummer with progressive metal mates and their band Periphery.

Learning life through trial, triumph, and trauma.