One Maniac at a Time…
An exploration into the connection of poetry to music to create lyrics. And contemplating the possibility that I am a maniac in my own right.
An exploration into the connection of poetry to music to create lyrics. And contemplating the possibility that I am a maniac in my own right.
I’ve upset most of my husband’s friends, but it’s led to surprising changes in our lives. By insisting my husband go to therapy, we’ve started understanding each other better. Now, I’m challenging his friends to be more emotionally supportive or leave our lives.
On a spontaneous cross-country train trip, the narrator meets a Marine who teaches her the proper way to do a push-up and lends her a charging brick for her phone. The journey is filled with interesting encounters, including an issue with service dogs that leads to an unexpected confrontation with Amtrak staff. Through these interactions, the narrator reflects on the nature of authority, respect, and the unexpected kindness of strangers.
Imaginary conversations with American singer/songwriter Rob Thomas have been a part of my life since I was thirteen. His music deeply resonates with me, providing comfort and understanding. Here, I explore these intense feelings, the impact of his songs, and the journey of expressing my emotions through writing.
A skeptic about poetry, I’ve always found it too rhythmic, too rhyming, too unsubtle. Yet, encountering a host of golden daffodils by the sea, Wordsworth’s poem burst into my mind, unbidden but awe-inspiring. It made me appreciate the imagery and emotion that poetry can convey, even to those who resist it.
This isn’t a ‘lifestyle’ blog. I’m Mae, not trying to ‘influence’ or sell a brand. I’m just living life out loud, yearning for connection in a world valuing independence over community. I’ve been labeled ‘crazy’ due to my neurodiversity, but I refuse to see myself as broken. I navigated law school, witnessing the grind and coping mechanisms of my peers, but chose an alternative path. My journey through mental health challenges and unconventional choices isn’t about breaking down; it’s about embracing a life less ordinary.
In a world that meticulously garnishes the resting places of the deceased, we paradoxically neglect the living souls who walk among us. Graveyards, with their manicured lawns and ornate tombstones, stand as sanctuaries of remembrance, while the living – those without a place to call home – find themselves exiled to the margins, with nowhere to lay their weary heads. It’s a poignant reflection on society’s values, where the reverence for those who have passed overshadows the basic human rights of the living. This stark reality begs the question: have we lost the essence of humanity in the pursuit of memorializing the dead?
In the quiet moments between the cacophony of societal expectations and the whisper of our deepest truths, lies the path less traveled. It’s along this path that I found my pivot from a life predefined by the rigid constructs of a system to one that celebrates the fluidity of personal belief and the power of inner transformation.