Connection
Reintegration Lens
As the class begins to settle, the professor walks to the front of the room, sets his notes on the desk, and looks out over the students. Professor: Tonight I am going to share a story with you all. It is not a happy story, but it is a story
Direction
I can stay here while the bridge is being built. I cannot stay here if the bridge is being blocked. That sentence has become the clearest way I know how to describe the difference between patience and stagnation. I am not saying I need to leave tomorrow. I am not
Bridge
Minus sixty-one by Woodkid is a song that has recently come into my life. The first time I encountered it was June 27th, 2025. My wife had booked a trip to see her boys, the New Kids On The Block in Vegas and I was the classic husband-in-
Bridge
At the time, I thought this was personality. Reliable. Practical. Calm under pressure. The person who kept moving. Looking back, I am no longer sure. In The Face of El Exiliado, I wrote about something I could not clearly see for most of my life. Part of me, the emotional,
Bridge
Lately, I’ve been carrying around a feeling that’s difficult to describe without sounding dramatic. I don’t feel broken. I don’t feel hopeless. I still get up, still think, still plan, still create. But underneath all of it, there’s something that feels used up. Not all
Bridge
I didn’t have much experience with relationships early on. I didn’t know how to talk to girls, let alone date them. So when Sandy showed up and wasn’t turned off by that, it stood out. She told me she liked going out with me because I wasn’
Bridge
For most of my life, I lived at a distance from myself. From the outside, things looked stable enough. I worked, I provided, I handled responsibilities, and I moved through the world in a way that most people would probably call normal. But internally there was always a separation—like
Bridge
There’s a Mexican saying I didn’t grow up hearing, but the first time I encountered it, it landed with more truth than anything I’d ever heard about daily life. The phrase is simple: “Allá estamos mejor pero estamos peor, aquí estamos peor pero estamos mejor.” It basically