Audio version for an extra perspective
When I look back on my past, I do not see what others do. When people say they admire me for overcoming those “hardships,” it confuses me. My childhood, adolescence, and young adult life have all been requirements. More than that, they have been normal to me.
A close cousin of mine once mentioned how I had helped him, saying, “Overcoming what you have has always been an inspiration to me.” It was not meant to be a backhanded compliment, but this time I received it that way.
My response was uncommon for this theme. For the first time in my life, I stood up for my life when I told him that I pitied his.
“It must have been really hard having both of your parents. You never got away with anything. They made you come home at night, do homework, and even play sports.”
When he looked at me like I was crazy, it was clear I had made him feel attacked. I clarified is knowing that he cannot expect me to feel like he has overcome the normality of his life much like I cannot expect him feel like I have overcome the normality of mine.
I am a high school dropout who graduated university with honors. I am the son of a broken home whose marriage is now almost three decades long. I am the short-tempered Airman who challenged the Air Force to fail me out of service, only to pass their tests and earn the rank of Master Sergeant. I am an artist who knows how to perform digital forensic analysis on network traffic. I am the black belt who still feels like the white belt that never stopped showing up.
In other words, I am the underdog who still has fight in him.
I am not a motivational speaker. I am a speaker who is unafraid to share the truth of my actual life.
What you can expect from this blog is a weekly post on whatever topic I feel drawn to speak about. As time goes on and interactions increase, I will address the things that hit differently for me. You will come to know my most common phrases:
- Mortar
This is a guiding principle for me. I am someone who connects seemingly unrelated things. - Synonyms
There is nothing different about what you know, only the words someone else uses to tell your story. - Octopus brain
This refers to people who hoard knowledge and leave those who could have benefited from it doomed to experience the same hardships.
With that said, hello world.
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