[hohp] noun.

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I'm lucky. 

Really lucky. 

My close friends know I've gone through a lot in my life. Yet, whenever I think about it, I always feel like my troubles are nothing compared to so much that I see and hear. But that's not why I'm lucky.


What about my family and friends? All those tight knit people that know me for me. Absolutely I love all of them, but not why I'm lucky.



(Cue the traditional holiday blessings speech about having a roof over my head and plenty of food, water and clothing) Of course, I am absolutely thankful for that. And truly blessed. But it's not why I'm lucky.

No. I was thinking today about hope. About what it means. About how powerful a word it is. About how powerful a concept it is.

Hope, to me, is staring adversity in the face and believing in the ability to overcome it.

It's not the act of overcoming. It's the belief.

Power is often given to actions. And this is certainly not unjustified. But when actions fail, it's hope that causes you to try again. In fact, hope often springs from the near insurmountable odds that accompany difficult times. It's light to fill the darkness.

No matter how blessed we are, everyone has good days and bad days. Everyone has moments of elation and disillusionment. Everyone has times when they struggle, and some when they are unable to find hope. And I'm lucky because I always seem to find it. And I am never happier than when I am hopeful.

Happy New Year. Be Safe. Stay Hopeful.

Who am I?

"I must first know myself; to be curious about that which is not my concern, while I am still in ignorance of my own self would be ridiculous."
- Plato


"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
-- Dr. Seuss

I’m strange, I know that.

I like to talk about real things on a first date, like your passions, and your beliefs and what makes you get up in the morning. I live to see that smile come across a person’s face when they talk about something they love, even if it isn’t me. I love it even more when I‘m responsible for it.

I love throwing myself into new situations, and friendships and relationships. Jumping in feet first with no idea how deep the water may be. I am impulsive. I move too quickly. And I ignore the “rules”. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I wish everyone else did as well. I make a lot of bad decisions as a result, but I never regret any of them.

I tell jokes when they're probably not quite appropriate. I have difficulty meeting new people. I try to prevent myself from "filtering" who I am on social media. I am passionate about those closest to me. I don't know if I make a good first impression or not. Yes, I really am that interested in getting to know you. I do everything I can to be true to myself. And every time I meet someone that doesn't "get me" I have to remind myself that I'm proud of who I am. That I'm complicated. That I'm different. And if you don't want to take the time to get to know me, I can't do anything about it. That's your choice.

I might not be the best person I can be, but that doesn’t mean I'm going to stop trying.

And to all my friends that accept these things about me, and especially to those that appreciate them and realize they are what make me, truly me. There aren’t many of you out there, but thank you. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. May you feel as lucky and blessed as I do.

To everyone else, you might as well learn to deal with it, because I ain’t changing and I’m not going anywhere.

Let's do this.