I grew up in a state that’s covered in water. It wasn’t until later that I realized how important those lakes, creeks, and rivers are to me. Water is beautiful from the surface. It feels dangerous to dive deeper than that, but going deep and below is something I love to do. We always talk …
Raising the bar for [white] men
I follow a few strict Catholics on Twitter. I’m not Catholic, but I like to break away from the echo chamber of my feed that is otherwise strongly leftist and liberal. I want to hear other perspectives and try to make sense of views that differ from my own. (I’m not sure it’s working.) There …
Was 2020 a “Waste?”
A year spent caring for others is not a waste.
Takeaways From the US Prison System Through a “Jailbirds” Lens
To think that there's any justice in the US justice system is naive at best. Despite having the third largest population in the world, the US holds the record for the highest number of imprisoned people — 2.2 million out of 10.35 million. Behind the country of Seychelles, the US is second for the highest …
Continue reading Takeaways From the US Prison System Through a “Jailbirds” Lens
The Mess in the Kitchen
Have you ever baked homemade bread? I made my first loaf a few days ago. As a Great British Baking Show fan (Mel & Sue seasons tho), I was ready for an intense workout. If you've seen the show, you've seen the contestants beating dough, slamming it into a cutting board, rolling it out, and …
My Health Problems Are Not My Fault
No one should have to prove their right to healthcare.
I’m not engaged and I promise that it’s fine
"There's no one way to have a relationship."
Understanding the 2020 Wyoming Ballot
Figuring out what's on the ballot takes a lot of time and effort. In a place like Cody, where you have to painstakingly go through candidates' Facebooks or scour old news articles, it takes even longer. There aren't any comprehensive voting resources available online, at least not that I could find. In this absence, I …
A Place Without Yards
My parents' house has an expansive yard, the kind that's commonplace among Midwestern suburbs. It doesn't need watering to stay green and lush beneath my father's footsteps as he walks in dusty loafers to his garden. I know one of their neighbors, Steve. He has three 50-ft. flagpoles in his front yard that sport his …
I’m Deleting Facebook (And You Should Too)
I got Facebook somewhere between the age of 16 and 17, when it was new and all the rage. Everyone was posting pictures and statuses and for those in my generation, this novel platform brought tons of awareness and light and connection in a profound way. That was more than a decade ago. Since then, …
Isolation in 3 Parts
I grew up going to daycare on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. My daycare provider, Vicki, had five children of her own (four of whom were boys), cared for her brother-in-law’s five kids (four of whom were girls), on top of caring for my brother and me. There was always someone to play with. I …
DEEP & BELOW 