When I was a little kid our family had an ancient brown Chrysler my mom called "Nellie". I wasn't sure if it was actually brown, or if the car was covered in that much rust, but Nellie was a formidable vehicle, a 20-foot land yacht with leather seats that gave you frostbite in the winter … Continue reading (Mental Health) My Anxiety
Category: mental-health
(Mental Health) My Depression
Back when I was 14 or 15, my sister ran away from home for a month and it straight-up wrecked me. We had no idea where she was or if I would ever see her again, and it was the first time we had been apart for that length of time. Growing up, we were … Continue reading (Mental Health) My Depression
(Friday Fiction) Veniamin Kovalenko, Werebear Dectective #3
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! I wanted to devote The Writing Desk towards that effort all month long, including Friday Fiction, and Veniamin Kovalenko Werebear Detective is a perfect candidate for this. Venia comes from a long line of werebears who traveled from their home country of Russia to Sitka, AK and finally to … Continue reading (Friday Fiction) Veniamin Kovalenko, Werebear Dectective #3
(Writing) A Writer’s May
The month of April was...not great for me as a writer. I didn't make much progress on anything of note, though I *did* resume a long-dormant Pathfinder game that I'll take as my big win. I could attribute the lack of writing to my day job, or family stress, or the general pressures of being … Continue reading (Writing) A Writer’s May
(Personal) My Sister, One Year Later
One year ago today, my sister died. My mother, my two nephews and their father were gathered in the conference room down the hall from her room in the hospital when we got the news -- even though her heart was beating and she was breathing (with help), her brain hadn't registered any activity for … Continue reading (Personal) My Sister, One Year Later
(Politics) Mindful Resistance
Ever since Michael Brown was shot dead by a police officer in Ferguson, MO I don't think I've been able to reflect on our political situation without a mix of anger, horror or despair. It's been tough to know what to do with these very difficult emotions even at the best of times; when the … Continue reading (Politics) Mindful Resistance
(Personal) Hello, April
Floating in a sensory deprivation tank for an hour was long enough for me to realize that a great deal of my problem is overstimulation. It's tough for someone sensitive to sensory input to live in a world like this, geared towards making sure something is grabbing your attention all the time. We live at … Continue reading (Personal) Hello, April
(Personal) Goodbye, March
The crisis point hit right in the middle of the month. We were coming out of a big Services meeting when my manager scheduled a one-on-one meeting right afterward. I had assumed it would be the follow-up on our annual reviews and talk about merit increases; in a way, I was right. The management structure … Continue reading (Personal) Goodbye, March
(Personal) Goodbye, February
The last time I spoke to my mother on the phone, she sounded lonely. But in typical Mom fashion, mostly she complained about the people with her at the in-patient rehab center. The white woman who had roomed with her was a racist. The nurses checking in on her were stealing her clothes. She just … Continue reading (Personal) Goodbye, February
(Buddhism) We’re All Mad Here
I've been thinking a lot about anger over the past month and a half. Ever since Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, MO way back in 2014 I've been increasingly political with my online presence -- and the candidacy and ultimate inauguration of Donald Trump has pushed that side of my … Continue reading (Buddhism) We’re All Mad Here
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 