I had an insight recently that I’m still trying to piece together. I think it’s a rather useful one, and this blog feels like the perfect place for me to flesh it out. It started with a thought I had while driving home from work one day, a thought that actually made me feel… afraid. …
How Changing the Way You View Exercise Can Make You Truly Strong
II started my current fitness journey back in 2022. At the time, I had ballooned up to 270 lbs (I’m 5’9″) and was pretty miserable in my own body. Not only was I completely out of shape, but I also suffered from chronic back problems and sciatica. I often thought to myself, “I’m way too …
This is Why God Made The World
Note: This post contains spoilers for the movie (and short story by Stephen King): The Life of Chuck. If you don’t want to be spoiled, then please skip this post until you’ve watched the movie or read the story. Last weekend, I took a trip out of town. I live in a little one-horse town …
The Mindset That Changes Everything
I recently rewatched Top Gun: Maverick. With the new Mission: Impossible in theaters, I went on a big rewatch of all the Mission: Impossible movies, which ultimately led me down a Tom Cruise rabbit hole. Despite his wackjob religious beliefs, the man has made some awesome movies over the years. Top Gun is a bit …
Not Yet, but Someday
I just got back from seeing Ballerina, the newest film in the John Wick universe, and let me just say it was everything you want from a John Wick movie. The premise of these films (and the world they inhabit) is absolutely ridiculous. But they’re just… so… much… fun to watch. Ballerina lives up to …
The Only Peace I’ve Ever Known
Let’s kick off this post with a song by Jelly Roll. Source: Jelly Roll YouTube page Let’s just say that’s one of the saddest songs ever. And let’s give Lainey Wilson a shoutout because her performance is incredible in it. But that’s not what I want to talk about in this post. In this post, …
The Final Reckoning: The Mission After the Mountain
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is in theaters now, and since I’ve been a lifelong fan of the franchise, I decided to check it out. I grew up watching the original TV show, and I remember seeing the first Tom Cruise installment back in 1996. Hard to believe it’s been almost thirty years. What’s …
The Unbearable Boredom of Sobriety
Hello, my name is Jamie, and I’m an alcoholic. Well… I say that with some hesitation. When most people hear the word “alcoholic,” they picture the movie stereotype—the angry guy who beats his wife and drinks until he burns his life to the ground. That’s not me. I’m not the guy who takes one drink …
Learning to Trust the Process: What I Learned From My Years-long Struggle With Back Pain
Back in my teaching days, I used to do an interesting warm-up when we reached the topic of compound interest. I’d start class with a question that I’ll now pose to you: Would you rather have a million dollars right now or a penny that doubles every day for 30 days? At first glance, it …
What I Learned From the Most Embarrassing Day of my Life
Allow me to set the stage for one of the most embarrassing days of my life. To do so, I need to go back a bit. 2011 was an interesting year for me. It was the year I finally worked up the courage to quit my job and go back to school to become a …