Close Encounters of the Crazy Kind

I was reading a Reddit thread about a girl being relentlessly stalked online and over the phone by some weirdo and his entire family because she broke up with him. And wow, did that resonate. Crazy. Oh, have I had run-ins with the crazy. Thankfully, only a few were truly notable, but here they are:

On DV: The Day I said "Enough."

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Contains graphic depictions of domestic violence, emotional abuse, and physical assault. Proceed with caution.

I guess the story really goes back to 1990 because that's when I met the guy we're going to talk about here. By the end of this post, you'll hate one of us, and I hope it isn't me, but anyhow...

In 1990, my sister was in the city to have her first baby. It was an exciting time for the whole family, but obviously, since I was such a teenage badass, I had to act nonchalant and carefree. "Big deal, everyone has babies!" Oh, but I couldn't wait to get up to that hospital and see my brand new baby niece, as well as my older sister who had been like my best friend while we were growing up.

The Fallen (and the Silence That Followed)

 I wonder sometimes—is it a thing? That busted people gravitate toward other busted people?

Not busted like broken beyond repair. Busted like... scraped-up knees under patchwork jeans. Busted like hearts duct-taped together with gallows humor and thrift store empathy. Busted like old radios that still hum, static and all, if you tune just right.

I saw this image recently, one of those “scroll past unless it punches you in the chest” kinds:

Condolences.

 "If someone is offended by your desire to heal, it usually means they have more to gain from your destruction. "

October 29, 2023 - That was the day I died.