Every Day Counts Like Crazy

So I graduated from a master’s program in clinical mental health counseling, and got my first job at a state funded agency that works with victims of domestic violence. It’s downtown in one of the big judicial buildings where people go to get married or go to court for their divorce. If someone is a victim of domestic violence, they are referred to our agency by their lawyer or social worker, and our office provides not only counseling services, but also assistance with housing, clothing, food, or to get help with issues such as immigration and orders of protection. My department is the counseling. Adults and children arrive, and there are snacks. The snacks are important. The waiting room being a comfortable and refreshing place is important. They move from the waiting room to my office where we talk about what is on their mind. Play therapy is where a child processes the difficulties in their life through the action figure, play dough, or crayons. The child communicates with the coun...

Intro: Oftentimes, activities in the physical world are filmed and recorded to be served online. Living beings bow their heads to watch. Eyes dart, heart rate slows, and the living beings generally enjoy the feeling, the viewing, and return for more. This is Social Media* (SM). Viewing is almost as good as living, but sometimes it’s even better!  Viewpoint 1: SM is a counterfeit of authentic human connection- every “👍” and “💗” on a post is a worse version of an in-person “compliment” or “hug”. Every "comment" is a worse version of an in-person “conversation”. SM is a connection-game that is played on the computer or phone, but is just a charade of the real thing. Within the connection-game, a user “posts” to gain capital. This capital/goodwill is used to grow the user’s reputation within the game. The users with the most capital are winning 🥳, and those with less are losing 😭. The capital earned within the game can be redeemed in the physical world for bookings on talk ...

  There's a community open mic comedy night at a college lecture hall. It's one of those where the crowd yells out topics, and the brave soul on stage has to immediately come up with funny bits. A few college students go up first, and do pretty well. The next comedian is the first woman to take the stage. She has a bubbly personality, quick smile, and large breasts. People shout out topics, and one guy yells, "Big tits!", she frowns, points at him, and says, "I don't like him", then moves on, listening for other topics.  The emcee of the show— a burly, barrel-chested man- gets out of his seat and signals to a security guard across the room. They begin to make their way towards the guy— who notices what's happening and begins to squirm. They arrive at his seat, and in one quick motion, each of them grab a wrist, and yank him out of his chair.  The crowd Oooo's and the woman protests into the mic, "Oh come on..." They pull his arms back b...

mir·a·cle "a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency." 🐎Age 4, I fell off a fully galloping horse and landed on the ground unscathed. 🗻Age 13, I stumbled from the top of a mountain and fell, somersaulting 3 times down the incline, then smacking down on a flat outcropping of earth in between some boulders. Only got bruises.  🧎Age 17, On a silent retreat and the leader gave me a sealed note and said, "Open it whenever feels right to you". At the end of the day, I was kneeling on a boat dock rapping directly to God about the beauty of the lake, and the trees, and my friends, and my gratitude for just being alive. I rapped and sang until my knees hurt. Taking a break, I opened the note. It said, "Get on your knees and sing praise to God, stay longer than is comfortable"   --- ➤ Were these events "the work of divine agency" or could they be ...

  March 2nd, 2022   11:30 AM - I have felt hungry for about an hour, using the promise of a future meal to get through my not-fun-but-must-do-chores.   11:35 AM - I finish an adequate amount of work and break for the well-deserved meal. 11:50 AM - I leave the kitchen holding a steaming bowl of oatmeal containing: 1 cut-up apple, 1 cut-up banana, toasted sesame seeds, cinnamon, and ginger.  12:00 Noon - THE LAST BITE arrives and in my head I think, "this is the last bite, what a delicious and well-balanced meal, I am a healthy person". 12:01 PM - I'm in the kitchen semi-frantically throwing leftover turkey, cornbread, more sesame seeds, and 4 dates into the previously empty bowl. 12:05 PM - I finish the "dessert" and think, "that was nice, a little extra, but now I will return to my work". 12:06 PM - Scooping into the bowl the rest of the turkey and cornbread; adding sesame seeds, 4 more dates, and a banana.  12:10 PM - I'm depressed, but equally hi...

              Steam rises through a manhole cover as I emerge from the southwest exit of Grand Central station in Manhattan en route to donate my sperm.   I moved to New York City from rural Vermont a few months ago fueled by a lifetime of vague romantic ideas about New York City that I'm now replacing with experience.  The streets carry the bodies of the wealthy, the aspiring to be wealthy, and the homeless.   The subway cars are filled with these bodies, who brush up against one another. 🚅🚅🚅🚅🚅🚅🚅🚅🚅 🚅🚅🚅                The sperm donation office is in a really tall metal skyscraper. From the street it looks like a giant Pez dispenser.  I imagine what's going on inside– laughter, bustling around desks and computers, smiling faces, and tables with catered food. Each office space for 70 floors contains a new cast of characters, playing out their dramas. I take the e...