​Warning: This post contains political type stuff. I use the words Republican, Democrat, election, George Bush, Barrack Obama, Hillary Clinton and *shudder* Donald Trump. Reader discretion is advised.

*I feel like there should be a smiley emoji here, but it seems weird in a blog post. So, just imagine it, mmmmkkk?*

This morning I had a dream. I was in a bar and an older gentleman walked in, came over to me, called me by name and gave me a huge bear hug. It was former President of the United States, George W. Bush. He asked me about my family, how they were all doing, and I talked to him about the Invictus Games. It was a delightful exchange between friends.

Photo Credit: Stephen Pearce

When was the last time you listened to a piece of music? For the large majority of us, the answer will be within the last day, hour, or even minute. Music is all around us everyday; we hear it on the radio, it is a part of the commercials we see on TV, it is playing while we shop for groceries. Many of us have an extensive list of music we listen to and adore on a regular basis. 

Sometimes you just really need to take a break from your job, right? Well my job just so happens to be in an online space, so when I take a break I tend to partially unplug. I say partially because my family and friends are still very much in an online space, being spread out all over the world, so I feel a bit too disconnected if I am completely unplugged. For me, just being very passive on social media, not really engaging or reading up on any hot topics…that is enough to kind of give me a break and allow me to recharge.

After a few days of my recent break I returned home and rested up a little by catching up on my trusty Facebook feed. And I saw chattering that - I am not even going to lie - stopped my heart for a brief moment: folks were calling for a boycott of Target.

I used to be a Christian. Most of my adult life, in fact, until a few years ago, I considered myself a believer. I attended regularly, prayed, worshiped, studied scripture. 

And then I had a major crisis of faith when my nephew, Brendon, died at the age of five from brain cancer. Words that were intended to console or support my family in our time of grief, shook my faith to it's core.

I have just spent the past three days in the Washington, DC area with some of the most powerful, inspiring and incredible individuals I believe this country has to offer. They also just happen to be members of a community I am proud to be a part of: the military spouse community.

This was a much needed trip for me on about 500 different levels. Some of those reasons were deeply personal and I am not yet ready to share those openly with whoever decides to click and read this post. But there are some that I just had to share, if for no other reason than my heart and mind need to release these experiences into the written word so that perhaps I will one day sleep again. 

Okay, so it doesn’t quite have the same ring as a van down by the river, but it is Friday and it’s all I’ve got. The first day of May, the first day of the #MayWriteAway challenge, Karaoke night with the girls and beer. Oh, I do love a Friday.

We have been living in our RV for a little over two weeks now. Friends and family might be surprised to learn that I actually really like it. We now live in a new, 33 foot pull-behind and, to date, I haven’t had any thoughts of running away or setting the entire thing ablaze. I know many of you have probably lost money on the betting pool. I apologize.

One of the most frequent questions I receive as an editor, writer and owner of an online publication is, “I can’t think of anything to write… how do you come up with things to write about?” And my answer is about as frustrating as the teacher who told you to look up a word in the dictionary when you asked her how it was spelled.

“Just write.”

But, BUT how can I write when I don’t know what to write about?

“Just write.”

BUT every time I sit down to write, nothing comes to me and I just stare at the screen.

“Just write.”

*Insert shaking fists and cursing*

Sometimes, I am the one shaking my fist and cursing at myself. 

Ever get to a point in your life when you throw up your hands and declare, “I have HAD it!” and then you open up a bottle of wine and declare that you are done with the “whole lot of them?” Recently I have had several of these moments in regards to behavior of people, claiming to be certified adult human beings, who are participating in a culture of hatefulness online. Some call it bullying, harassment, hate speech or just being a colossal jerk. Whatever you call it, I am talking about engaging in name-calling, public shaming, ridicule and otherwise nasty behavior online, behind the safety of your keyboard.