—I WISH I KNEW THEN, WHAT I KNOW NOW 

 

…Fucking Fuck that guy.

 

…“Writing needs to take a risk, or it’s not worth a damn.” Dorothy Allison

 

…I’ll be there soon. I promise.

 

…How can you be a country that bans books but not guns unless there’s something intrinsically wrong with you?

 

…No wonder why my hands shake.

 

…But keep up those balance classes, Bllll!!!

 

…You don’t want to be attached to something you’re attached to, if you know it’s all messed up.

 

…It’s probably always a good idea to stop admiring yourself.

 

…It’s okay, you’re okay.

 

…Yeah, no, it’s not like that at all. This was different. This was special.

 

…I sure hope that’s just temporary or there’ll be trouble.

 

…That could be me. Maybe it is me, and I just need to take a closer look.

 

…I guess we’re all hypocrites in one way or another, whether we know it or have the guts to admit it. 

 

…Put some more words together. That’s a good distraction.

 

 

                                              “No, thanks, I stay energized with perpetual anxiety.”

…But some of us don’t forget it.

 

…This is the time to take two steps back, but you have to realize it first.

 

...I’m not as sad as I seem. 

 

…I think the screen puts ten pounds on me, or so I’ve heard.

 

…You better save that, because no one else is going to.

 

…Well, that’s good.

 

…Yeah, it’s probably time.

 

…I don’t get how people, friends, call me, “Sir,” when I’m their own age.

 

…In the words of Roberto Duran, “No mas.”

 

…The thing is, you’re always choosing and it’s not always easy to choose the right one.

 

…Was that just a song you were sharing, or was that a message?

 

…Chapter and Verse, I guess that means beginning to end, right?

 

…If this is the hard part, you’ve got it pretty good.

 

… “They’re like ride-or-die Seattle, and it’s super awesome to be a part of.” Josh Naylor

 

…Hey, Patterson, why are you even still up right now? Go get your mouth guard.

 

…What kind of country is this when someone can say to a reporter on air, “Quiet. Quiet, Piggy.” What kind of country is this when the person saying that is the President of The United States?

 

…What kind of country is this when the President of the United States says, “Stuff happens,” about the dismemberment of an American journalist” while praising Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who masterminded the journalist’s killing?

 

…What kind of country is this anymore? Please tell me, because I don’t fucking know.

 

…(and this was just one day.)

 

…How is that okay?

 

…“I would like to paint the way a bird sings.”  Claude Monet

 

…I don’t know, can be a really honest answer.

 

…Screw you, heart, I thought you were always supposed to be there for me.

 

…In the words of Kenny Loggins, “This is it, make no mistake where you are.” 

 

…What’re you actually trying to achieve here?

 

…I’m still waiting and believing, even if I’m not sure I want to.

 

…I’m fairly good at comforting myself but I’m especially good at scaring myself.

 

…I reminded myself that I need to think about people in wheelchairs when I thought I needed to be in a hurry.

 

…“The mere sense of living is joy enough.” Emily Dickinson

 

…I think what matters most is the trying, the effort.

 

…I always thought that dying would be easier if we all died at the same time.

 

…Thank you for that. It felt like someone kissing a wound to make it feel better.

 

…I just want to have a body. I don’t care what it looks like.

 

…Is it strength or imagination that gets you through? I only have one of those that’s worth a damn.

 

…Turn out the lights, the party’s over. They say that all, good things must end…

 

…“I think there’s a fear of feeling guilty about taking care of yourself.” Andrea Gibson

 

…Sometimes the best nights start in the morning.

 

…I said I was trying, I didn’t say I was getting there. 

 

…You don’t have to be a Dick. No one does.

 

...We should probably talk about timing, how timing is everything.

 

…It’s a dance and a balance on the tightrope, right?