Is this some kind of a joke? Sure sounds like one to me.

I was given a gift. It came as an unsolicited invitation to be the door guy, bouncer if you will, of a popular dive bar. Saying “yes” was my next step, and it proved to be a rich path.

I love hiking. You take the trek because on the way, you get to experience things you never would have before. I have seen some amazing views because I took a walk. 

Humans are curious. Boy, I have seen some things – interesting, shocking, hilarious, good, bad, and ugly. Yeah, I have some stories. I have also witnessed courage, humor, resilience and beauty. Humans are powerful, and we are most powerful when we are curious. Playful. 

Watch what happens when a 2-year-old walks into a room. They are curious and uninhibited. They are not living for anyone else. And the world goes out of it’s way to watch them be themselves and give them whatever they want.

A room full of tipsy sorta grownups? Same? I’d say closer than most adults. Ok, in more ways than I care to remember. Still, I think we’ve lost something important. We live scared, disconnected, hiding lives. We feel alone – when we let ourselves feel anything at all.

I spent so much of my life in hiding, avoiding pressure and pain. Instead of keeping myself from the pain, I was keeping myself from living my own life. I was diminished. That where I started my journey 5 years ago.

Never been a bar guy. Still not. Don’t really drink. But in doing so, which was a step of courage for me, I have become more. I am becoming the human I always hoped I could be.