My Body Thinks It Fought in the Civil War

Aging doesn’t arrive all at once—it shows up in quiet limitations, hard-earned perspective, and the realization that energy is finite. From spoon theory to stubborn independence, this is what it looks like to keep moving forward anyway.

Optional in the Season of Togetherness

A quiet Thanksgiving weekend leads to reflections on loneliness, the feeling of being “optional,” and why the wasteland of Fallout sometimes feels more comforting than real life. Surgery recovery, complicated emotions, and a glitchy new update all blend into one simple truth: even in chaos, we find who stands by us.

Empathy, Pain, and a Midnight Scorched Attack

A 3:30 a.m. flare-up turns into an unexpected lesson in empathy, pain management, and the strange parallels between real-life recovery and surviving the Wasteland. Sometimes even nurses need a refresher in giving a damn.

Toddlers, Tantrums, and the Temptation of the Wasteland

Even in the Fallout universe, the monsters are easier to deal with than the ones outside your front door. A veteran’s reflection on civility, escapism, and the urge to leave the nursery behind.