The Digital Diatribe

The Blog

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

  • Owning Both

    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

  • Perspective

    Perspective

    Maybe instead of abandoning you, they stepped back to give you the space you need to become who they know…

  • Scars

    Scars

    Scars create ridges, ridges that look like mountains depending on your perspective. Once you’re standing on top of the ridge,…

  • The Paradigm

    The Paradigm

    I sit in parks, watching my kids play and texting people who never text back. I’m dying on the inside,…

  • The Beginning of the End

    The Beginning of the End

    Hope must die, but it must die of natural causes. You can’t speed this process along. When the silence becomes…

  • Deconstruction

    Deconstruction

    I wear my losses like an ex-lovers t-shirt. I want to breathe in deeply and feel the memory next to…

  • The Aftermath of the Storm

    The Aftermath of the Storm

    It’s quiet, my house is empty, and I’m examining the remains—surveying the damage from a storm I never saw coming.…

  • Time

    Time

    There is a principle that states: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Alcoholics Anonymous has a…

  • Muse

    Muse

    It’s springtime, or maybe it’s summer; only a calendar could clear the confusion. I’m sitting on my front porch, drinking…

  • You Cannot Build on Ashes

    You Cannot Build on Ashes

    Sometimes I just need to write, and I do not know why. I have an insatiable desire to create, but…

Where to go from here

-Ryan

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