![I Believe… [Family Levels the Field]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1652442972239-5HCI14SDUYXER3RMB46X/A4C2FB33-E0FC-4554-B9DC-80179D86F6A5.jpeg)
I Believe… [Family Levels the Field]
I believe... that family is who you hang with to remember who you are rather than who you thought you were.

The Chameleon
"OK. Calm down," responded Davis. "This is a classic John Hughes kind of dilemma. You're dating three different women. You like each one equally but for different reasons. Let's really make a Nick Hornsby list and see who you see yourself with in, say, seven years.

Grizzly
He lied there, the beast breathing slowly, and wondered what happened? Where was his wife? Did she do this to him? Why?
![I Believe… [The Road to Restoration]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1652110291609-WG5LVSEG4PZCVHTRFATB/IMG_1879.jpeg)
I Believe… [The Road to Restoration]
I believe... that a roadtrip by yourself, arm out the window, stereo blasting heavy metal from the ‘80s, is better than all of the meditation available. Even when you the first speeding ticket you’ve had since 1989.

The Taste of Mourning
At first he couldn't find her. He knew she couldn't be far. He heard something like an animal and turned the corner. There she was, on all fours, loping through the parking lot like a dog or chimpanzee.

The Yeti Rings Twice
Yetis and Unicorns will never stay together long.

Til Death (or Dismemberment) Do Us Part
"Are you waking up, lover? I'm sorry about your tongue, Sweetie, but I had to take it. Can't have you talking to people about me, can I? I'm a little sad because even though you were always a blowhard, I'll miss our conversations about things. Hold on a sec. You won't feel this except for a little pressure but this thing is really loud."
![I Believe... [Recently Abandoned Version]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1651383534099-A0RMDT6HODFZH9P5B98T/2E382AE5-1CE2-4891-A605-87FB8506427B.png)
I Believe... [Recently Abandoned Version]
I believe... that realizing you married your unrequited love is a real piece of mindfuckery.

The Consequence of Bad Choices
"I'm you. From nine years in your future. I'm not entirely sure how I got here but I figured out exactly whyonce I saw that I was in Chicago on this day. I knew exactly where you'd be. I'm here, I think, to prevent devastation."

The Eye of the Beholder
"I guess I feel lonely. Or alone. I don't feel like we are on the same page as a married couple and I can't figure out why."
![I Believe... [That Third Time Charm Stuff is Bullshit]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1650728149151-A6GGOIQHYQINR3E6JNVP/6C539672-EC3F-46B6-B177-C4E275CEFD10.jpeg)
I Believe... [That Third Time Charm Stuff is Bullshit]
I believe... that it’s incredibly difficult to appreciate a wonderful meal if it ends with a pile of shit on a banquet plate. The final course determines the meal.

The Improbable Dangers of Candle Wax
He could hardly make himself say it. He sat on the couch—she was just sitting there laughing about a dumb YouTube and the sound of her hoarse giggles was like music—lit up a cigarette—she hated these things but I think I need them right now—and stared hard at her shoes on the floor.

No Steak Knives for Me
For myself, I've answered the question about separating the artist from the art.
![I Believe... [#BookTok is an Oxymoron]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1650163572694-KKB200YP4OFW3FX64BTJ/IMG_1692+Small.jpeg)
I Believe... [#BookTok is an Oxymoron]
...that using social media to sell books is as pointless and unforgiving as selling bibles in a brothel.

Solutions are Easy; Wresting Control in Order to Implement Them Is Another Thing Altogether
I wonder how many genuine solutions to current problems get bogged down in meetings demanding a certain power-hungry consensus.

Tribal Allegiance Didn't Save Anyone from COVID
I'm not into tribes these days. Tribalism did not save one person who contracted COVID and died from it. It won't save the next, either.
![I Believe... [Dying Breath]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1649520934566-S4H4YO0XDD9WBNUGC5R5/IMG_0080.jpeg)
I Believe... [Dying Breath]
...that, if one spends more than a few minutes a day being anxious about money, a serious re-evaluation of what is and is not of value is in order. No one expends their final breath to brag about their credit score.

Sometimes You Just Gotta Buy a $6 Million House
BLM Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors says she's thriving. No shit.

Masculinity is Not the Problem
Where are the lines between masculinity (nature's way), hyper-masculinity (the ego's way), and toxic masculinity (the villain's way)?
I Believe... [Supporting Dictators with Food Choice]
...that if you’re canceling Russian dressing but not Korean BBQ, Chinese egg rolls, or Middle Eastern Falafel, you’re a dietary dictatorship apologist.
...that knowing when to let go of people who have already let go of you is good. Actually letting them go and moving on is better.