I sometimes revisit old essays and think, ‘What a load of shit.’ But this piece still retains the essence of what I felt a year ago, almost to the day. The Loneliness in December. Drop a mail if you want…
There was no orchestrated mayhem. No drums, bonfires, or initiation rituals. I joined a support group for males during a low point in my life. And the experience was great. Instead of getting my token for the ancestral sweat lodge,…
I graduated from university with majors in English and psychology. This dude was geared to infuse the mundane thoughts and creative exploits of everyone “out there” with his newfound armamentarium of excellence. But first, before I could take my brilliant…
Corporal Rockjaw was unusually amicable that day. He told us that if anyone thought the mess hall food was shit, they should write their complaint on a list, add their force number and ID, and the matter would be escalated…
Some questions cut back. They keep returning, century after century, generation to generation. They will stalk us as long as we are human and still failing at being it. Even when the machines rule, the dead walk, the stars swallow…
I was in a crowd. We were being herded like sheep. Maybe not. Maybe sheep got better treatment. I remember military intake with a clarity I wish I had for the rest of my life. Funny how the moments that…
Where was the wholesale leadership bargain-bin? I must’ve missed that sale. Online groups churn out motivational fluff, polished “gotcha” moments, sanitized wisdom for leaders. But where are the minions? Maybe I haven’t stumbled across the underground posts for the people…
So what the hell are platitudes, and why do they kill your vibe? “Manifest your reality!” “Positive vibes only!” Some platitudes are rotten, and the festering fruit hangs lower. Once on the train, between a very bad rainstorm and delays,…
PODCAST https://mattlr.com/ A long time ago, on a Saturday, we ended up in the tower cab of a tiny regional airport on the outskirts of town. Tiny enough that one young woman ran the entire tower alone. Approach, takeoff, landing,…
Have you ever contemplated suicide? Not planned it, not obsessed over it, but contemplated it? Do you often label yourself as “lost,” or “broken?” How “lonely” are you? Sunday mornings, do they become dreaded signposts, informing you that anxiety will…