Essays on the noise of existence, being a dad, grief, addiction, and recovery.
New here? Start here.
Most of my writing is about something I’ve lived through or experienced, but some of it is just my opinion. While I write mainly for myself, I always like your feedback so please leave a comment if you would like. If you’re new here, these five essays are a place to begin. ~ Ryan
- Why I’m Here — Why these stories exist, and who I’m leaving them for.
- Experience — Grief, finding a voice, and sharing what I’ve lived through.
- Body & Mind — Getting sober was only part of learning how to live.
- This is Church — Faith, heavy metal, and finding somewhere to belong.
- Hail to the King — A father, a son, and the music between them.
The Latest
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Owning Both
From jail cells to boardrooms, poverty to wealth, and failure to success. A personal reflection on identity, belonging, and owning both worlds.
Recent Posts
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Recovery INC. Part 2: The Basement vs. the Boutique
Sobriety used to be about survival. Now it’s a lifestyle, a personal brand, and an increasingly profitable consumer market. In…
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Recovery INC. Part 1: The Conquest of the Cure
How did addiction recovery become a business? Recovery INC. explores treatment centers, wellness marketing, and the economics of getting sober.
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Raison de Ne Pas Être
Raison de Ne Pas Être: The Opposite of a Reason for Being. I took four years of French and barely…
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Labelled Mentally Deranged
A memoir of 1993 Texas: waking up in rehab during the Waco siege, surviving severe trauma, blackouts, and finding anchors…
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I Saw a Memory Today
Faded overalls, a familiar laugh, red hair in a crowd — four brief essays on the moments grief ambushes you…
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The Eternal 1978
What if death doesn’t send you forward, but back to the exact moment you were born? A theory built from…
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Are You Happy
We turned “are you happy?” into small talk, then into a metric. Why the pressure to say yes made the…
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We Don’t Say “Dead” Anymore
Un-alived. Unhoused. We’ve traded honest words for comfortable ones, and the cost falls on whoever is actually living the tragedy…
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The Fall
ree-verse poem about writing to be seen, pushing people away, and the dread that comes with every moment of peace…
Where to go from here
- Start here: five essays to begin with
- Read the AA: A Cult of Personality series
- Explore the blog archive
- Get in touch
-Ryan
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