Preamble

This is a work of dirty realism, although I refer the term “dangerous non-fiction.” I call it “What The Hell Didn't Happen to Me: A Time Capsule in Reverse.” My goal is to publish an essay each week, detailing my hard-won and hard-earned lessons of the past ten to fifteen years. This is what I wish I had known then, but I didn't and I learned the painful lessons over the years. I know now what I didn't know then, precisely because I didn't know it then. I learned by failing, over and over again, until I learned, rarely on my own, what I was doing wrong.

This is not self-help. This is not motivational. This is a cautionary tale, of breaking unwritten rules, social contracts, and promises I made to myself. It is my hope that whoever reads this can appreciate it, identify with it, or even learn from it--to avoid making the same mistakes I did.

I also expect this work to be a calling card of my intense writing style, my unique voice, and my propensity for using the rule of three....not to mention my sense of irony, dark humor, and deadpan delivery.

As a side note to any potential employers: Please keep in mind that this is a personal journal, with an intensely personal style. I am capable of writing in a professional, or “house” voice. But this is my story, this is my journey, and this is my voice.