In My Own Words
I’ll Do It Myself
There’s a thought I’ve had beating inside my chest lately. I’ll do it myself. Not said with anger. Not always.
South Carolina Veterans Deserve Better Than Silence
South Carolina veterans are thanked for their service every day. But gratitude means very little when it is not followed by real support, real options, and laws that reflect compassion.
This is a personal piece about pain, dignity, medical cannabis, and why veterans deserve more than silence. I have also sent it directly to South Carolina lawmakers and state leaders.
The Hammer in My Hand
I haven’t had much time to write lately, and that saddens me. Although it seems like I am always writing
The Future of Yesterday
This time of year always sits a little heavier on me. No matter what else is going on, when this
Twitty and Cheese
There are plenty of times in my life when a smell can just take me back. Not all the memories
What It Costs to Look Fine
Pain and I know each other too well to pretend anymore. That fight ended a long time ago. There was
Count the Bricks
Today, by pure happenstance, I ended up in a conversation with a man who turned out to be the son
Letter to My 20-Year-Old Self
Letter to My 20-Year-Old Self Twenty-year-old Me— I’m writing this from thirty years ahead of you. Fifty. I know that
Some Scars Don’t Fade
Some scars don’t fade. We just stop showing them. At first, you think scars are supposed to disappear. That healing
Heretic
heretic (noun)her·e·tic \ ˈher-ə-ˌtik , ˈhe-rə- \Synonyms: dissenter, nonconformist, iconoclast I am a heretic. Not in the way they burned them at the
I Didn’t Walk Out of 2025 Lighter
I didn’t walk out of 2025 lighter.I walked out of it steadier.Not because the weight disappeared.Because I learned how to
I Ain’t Healed
I ain’t healed.I just learned how to hide it. I learned which rooms to stay quiet in. Which smiles don’t
The Scars Ain’t Free
The scars ain’t free.Every one you see, was paid for by me. People look at the exterior like that tells
A Firm Hand Can’t Hold Water
A firm hand can’t hold water.Most people forget that. They walk through the world with their fingers locked tight, their
When you Say ‘More’ to Daddy
you whisper you want more—but it’s the way you look at Me when you say itthat tells the truth. That
Stop Dying Politely
The storm doesn’t knock. It kicks the damn door in. One minute you’re steady, the next you’re standing in the
Tell Me Where It Hurts
Tell me where it hurts.Not the surface pain—not the sting that fadesor the shiver that lives skin-deep—but the place you
Champagne Problems
We love to act like our lives are falling apart—while sitting in air conditioning, sipping $7 lattes, and complaining the
From the Mouth of Babes
Ever heard the phrase “from the mouth of babes”? It’s an old saying that means sometimes truth comes from the
Still Doing Time
I’m running slower than my demons can fly. They circle overhead, wings slicing through the air, always waiting for me
They Don’t Die, They Just Stop Showing Up
Losing people who are still alive hits different. There’s no funeral, no closure—just silence dressed up as distance. You tell yourself it’s life, but deep down, you know when absence is intentional. This one’s for everyone who’s ever realized, too late, that they were the only one still sitting at the table.