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Is this my decade?
I was 40. I was at a conference. The energy! I was among my people (I thought) feeling like I belonged — really belonged! It was heady, something I had really never felt before. I had knowledge and…
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#neurodivergent justice
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Our right to actually exist is (still) up for vote
Content note: One paragraph has a blunt discussion of current events. If you don’t want to read it, I’ve marked it so you can skip. This post is addressed to my subscribers and followers, the people…
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What Brought You Here?
This week in our NeuroCourage community, someone joined a new group whose sign-up asked, “What brought you here?” She answered “An email.” When she got into the group, she saw that everyone else…
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It’s Not an Epidemic. It’s Endemic.
Content Note: This essay discusses sexual assault on college campuses and in the military, including specific cases and how institutions responded to them. It names what happened without graphic…
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Finding Bottles
Content Warning: alcoholism My perspective is limited by my positionality. This essay is based solely on my own experience. and in no way should be interpreted as judgment or condemnation of any…
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Unnecessary Pain
I met a woman this weekend who recently recognized her neurodivergence. She is a creator, a writer, an artist. She’s had an amazing career. Now she is asking existential questions and expressing a…
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Sometimes I’m Not Ready for War
Tuesday morning, I asked my husband not to infodump. Since we retired, we spend a lot of time together. He loves to fill that time regaling me with tales of Warhammer 40k lore (for the Imperium),…
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The Right Advice for the Wrong Person
My husband got his hearing aids on Tuesday. The audiologist explained there will be an adjustment period. His brain will need to relearn how to process sound it hasn't had access to in years, and…
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Set a Time
My friend asked me if I could talk. Of course I can! I gave her a window, asked her to set a time, and braced myself. Photo by Bruno Figueiredo on Unsplash I know asking for a set time is risky.…
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Kitten Lessons
Before the betrayal | Photo by Amberhawk Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published My cat forgot he's a kitten. He forgot he's one of many in a family of love. He says…
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What that AI Disclosure Box Is Really Asking
Sometimes I can’t let it go. Something feels off, something important is being overlooked. I can’t stop poking at it until I understand what I am sensing. I frustrate the people around me. I…
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Trust Isn't a Number
Photo by Jack Guo on Unsplash Erik was the first dyslexic person who let me in. He let me see how he experienced the world. A Navy brat, his learning disability wasn’t caught until he was seventeen —…
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In the Interest of Full Transparency
This is the first image I’ve used AI to create. Look what you made me do, Substack. Once upon a time, a caveman figured out how to cook meat over fire. Another caveman was furious. “It’s better raw,”…
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Declaring Victory While the Monster Still Lurks
I melted down one month after I was laid off from my job of 15 years. The layoff happened right as we were moving into our new home. We were facing a fresh mortgage, and our income divided in half.…
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Let's talk about labels
“Neurotypical” isn’t the problem. Neither is “neurodivergent.” Both words describe your brain. Neuro-privilege describes the deal you get. Those aren’t the same thing. They aren’t even on the same…
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Midnight Musings
Sometimes I see someone talk about Substack feeling more genuine, about people bringing authenticity and publishing it for all to examine. People here are wrestling with big questions, and they are…
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Watching from the Edge
Names of family members have been changed. Elaine called for Craig softly. Someone nearby echoed her call, a little louder. My husband heard a need — Elaine wanted his cousin’s attention — and used…
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Get Help
Content warning: trauma, assault, medical abuse, chronic pain, death, grief. Names changed. Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash Dr. Andrews sent my husband home with a dire warning. “Get help or your…
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Ordinary Chemistry
We have a tankless water heater in our attic. It produces condensation, and a CPVC pipe carries that condensation out of the house. The pipe had to turn at one point, and there was a brass coupling…
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Friendship is a Verb
This morning I was reading an extraordinary piece by Germane Marvel, and a word found me. Gleaning. Short Sand Beach | The Ubuntu Journey Germane defines gleaning as accumulation — the way power…