Five Days in the Psych Ward

In 1987 the mental health floor of a dilapidated hospital was exactly what you would expect. The 5th floor of Puget Sound Hospital was gray, neglected, probably clean enough to pass an inspection but also maybe not and…basically forgotten. Stepping out of the elevator into this other realm was surreal. To the right of me… Continue reading Five Days in the Psych Ward

1987

The end of my junior year of high school was a wild ride. I discovered The Fiero had been sleeping with someone I thought was a close friend. Sandra, The Friend, had introduced me to The Fiero. The Friend was dating The Fiero’s best friend. It was all so messy. Although I don’t remember much,… Continue reading 1987

I was a teenage statistic – Part 2

It was surprisingly easy to omit the truth…well, at least until it wasn’t. For most of high school I had to navigate between two worlds. One world consisted of school, friends, parties, and trying to be like everyone else. My other world revolved around The Fiero. These two universes could not coexist. In fact, they… Continue reading I was a teenage statistic – Part 2

I Was a Teenage Statistic – Part 1

Gen X is often referred to as feral. We parented ourselves and younger siblings, we were left alone a lot, cooked our own meals, we played in “the woods”, and our parents had no real clue as to what was happening in our lives. This was certainly the case for me. My parents had divorced,… Continue reading I Was a Teenage Statistic – Part 1

Did he just try to gaslight me?

Back in the day, EJ and I were what I would consider friend-adjacent. Although we went to different high schools, he was good friends with some of the people I was good friends with and we socialized in the same circles. I remember EJ as being a straight-edge kid. He attended parties but didn’t drink… Continue reading Did he just try to gaslight me?

That one time my mom turned my drugs over to the cops…

My family likes to tell the same funny stories over and over. My mom enjoys sharing about that one time she found a whole bunch of cocaine in my coat pocket. It’s a good story, funny but it reminds me that my mom does not always have my back. Hearing it time and time again… Continue reading That one time my mom turned my drugs over to the cops…

Hal Tiffany – Reflections

I have had a lot of loss in my life…friends, boyfriends, co-workers, all my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, my father, my daughter…all gone. Although I am no stranger to grief, grieving a loss when the person hasn’t died is a new struggle for me. But that is what I am trying to navigate…a journey of… Continue reading Hal Tiffany – Reflections

Hal Tiffany – Part 7

“I never cared for you.”– ‘Hal Tiffany’, September 16, 2022 Friday, September 16, 2022 On Friday, the crazy narcissist decided to start playing games. Weird, but ok. Friday morning ‘Hal’ finally responded to my email. He wrote, “I never cared for you” and then proceeded to threaten me with a restraining order. Sure…seems like something… Continue reading Hal Tiffany – Part 7