Time of My Life
A publication to share about the people, passions, and experiences that bring me joy
Some days, I’m truly having the time of my life. Other days, saying I’m having the “time of my life” likely would come with an eye roll from me.
But literally every day, the time of my life is passing like grains of sand through an hourglass because time simply can’t be stopped.
But I believe time can be transcended through storytelling.
Sharing our stories is how we connect with others, build memory, and extend joy.
Since Mental Health Awareness Month begins today, I thought it would be an ideal time to begin sharing my stories with the public again. If you’re reading my work for the first time, please understand that my posts could be triggering with acknowledgement and discussion of suicidal ideation and mental health challenges.
Telling my stories not only helps me make sense of time but also is an integral part in how I navigate mental illness. One day at a time, I stay alive, stay sober, and manage my diagnoses because I make an intentional effort to share and be of service to others.
Moving forward, this space is where, through writing weekly (or maybe more) about specific days in my life, I’ll share about the people, passions, and experiences that bring me joy. I’ve learned over time that in my darkest moments, connecting with these three elements of life ensures that my time on earth continues.
In our minds, memories come and go randomly, so while posts following this one will be rooted in a date on the calendar, we will jump around in time from post to post and often even within a post.
Sometimes, I’ll tell a story that happened in the recent past, or I’ll share one to observe or note an anniversary. Other days, the story you’re reading won’t have a connection to its publication date. I’ll use primary sources to enhance and strengthen my memories, and I’ll interview “my people” to share their voices, insights, and perspectives inside the story at hand.
Remembering my own stories brings me hope, writing them down helps me to sharpen and extend my memory, and sharing them allows me to show people who also struggle with suicidal ideation that they too have people, passions, and experiences that bring them joy.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to silencing suicidal ideation, but I have found that this is my most effective tool in my darkest moments.
This publication isn’t about mental illness. But it is about living with mental illness.
Every now and then, I’ll touch on mental illness, but mostly I’ll be writing about the joys and challenges of life while navigating my mind and the traps it often sets.
Whatever story I’m sharing though, I promise that underneath that story, I took active steps during that same day to navigate my disease to not allow my clinical depression to keep me trapped in bed or let my anxiety disorder create emotional paralysis.
Like so many of you, I battle one or both of these diseases every single day.
I hope sharing my stories will remind you that you’re not alone, while reminding me that our people, passions, and experiences – not our diagnoses – make us who we are.
If you struggle with mental illness, I hope through my stories you’ll see parallels and know that you’re never alone.
If you love someone who struggles - whether diagnosed or undiagnosed - I hope you’ll read about solutions to support them.
And if neither apply, I hope you’ll find other reasons to read and connect.
No matter what, writing this will help me stay healthy.
My hope is that it will help others as well.
Thank you for reading!
Coming soon: April 20, 2024 - Creative brilliance from Queens to Broadway