Author: absolutwillie

  • Video: Sweet Brown's Greatest Hits

    Almost everybody, everywhere has been throwing the line “ain’t nobody got time for that” around like there’s no tomorrow. Having been oblivious to such phenomenons (I was late with Gangam Style too), I never really got it.

    Until now…

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFEoMO0pc7k&fs=1&source=uds&w=320&h=266]

  • silly list: This is why I'll never be an adult

    I thought I’d share this chart from Hyperbole and a Half as my silly list for the week:

    (click to enlarge)
  • Speaking of 5 years…

    This is what I looked like 5 years ago (photo taken pre sobriety):
    And this is what I look like now (5yrs sober):
    Perhaps a little fuller in the jowls and thinner in the brows, but not too bad!
  • Revisited: My life in 5 year segments

    In March of 2011, I wrote a post on how an old twitter trend (#5yrs) sparked a list. For me, it’s turning into a personal meme – looking at my life in 5 year segments, and seeing what pattern/legend hides in the folds of history.

    Quick recap:

    00-05: carefree childhood

    05-10: awareness of my Other-ness

    10-15: trusting the Closet

    15-20: escaping the Closet

    20-25: student-/full time LGBTI-rights activist

    25-30: print/design entrepreneur

    30-3?: sober, educator and consultant

    Little did I know, at the time, that by the end of that year I’d be living in Missouri (USA)! Or that the reasons for me moving to Missouri turned out to be a load of bull. Cost me mega bucks – but I learned a lot in the process.

    Similarly, I couldn’t have dreamt that 2012 would see me escape from the clutches of evil in the States, and that I’d be back at my Parents’ house, where I did everything I could to earn enough money to pay my new debts, and save up for University again.

    So here’s how the last completed segment looks like:

    30-35: sober, educator, consultant, exhibiting photographer, community activist and odd-jobs-guy. 

    Things are looking up for the next segment though!
              35-??: Student – Postgraduate Certificate in Education (still sober)
    What can we see from this list so far?
    Firstly, that 4 out of the first 5 segments of my life revolved around my sexuality, and fighting for acceptance in main stream society.
    Secondly, that 3 out of my 4 “adult” segments marked the rise and rise of my alcoholism.
    Lastly (for now), that I might very well spend a couple more segments in Education, my dream since the age of 15  
    ;0)
    So what does your life look like in segments of 5 years?

  • Can I get a Woop-Woop?

    Thanking God for the clever people who figured out Citalopram.

    Feeling GOOD y’all!!

  • Serving notice to the IttyBitty Committee

    I’ve decided to take some of the money I’ve saved for tuition, and pay for a visit to the psychiatrist. Starting my bipolar meds again.

    I don’t know how far my savings will stretch to cover my meds, required medical aid, tuition and rent for 2013… but a functional life is worth more than money in the bank.

  • The shitty IttyBitty Committee

    So I’ve been off my meds since leaving Taiwan. And at first, everything went pretty well: I was starting a new adventure in America, where all sorts of wonderful things were bound to happen! My new “Boss” had all the details of my mental health program, and had agreed to ensure continuity in my treatment.

    That was not the only commitment he bailed on, but it turns out it’s the one that’s caused the most damage.

    Fast forward to the present, and I’ve all but fully recovered from the sh!t-storm that was my “break in the States”. All recovered, that is, except for the crap in my head.
    Ambient sound transforms into noise that drowns out everything, even light. When excited, I talk louder than necessary. Sometimes my words crash somewhere between my voice box and my tongue, resulting in incomprehensible smacks and vowels. At times I lose coherence completely. I get incredibly angry at the silliest things. I zone out at random. I hate being around people, because I hate how out of place they make me feel. I don’t belong here. I struggle to “play nice”. I struggle to care, or I get over-emotional. I hate the way people look at me, like I’m a festering wound, like I’m what’s wrong. I want to hide from their judgment. I prefer the safety of solitude, but then the silence gets too loud and I just want to jam junk in my ears. Stab out the part of my brain that processes audio.

    I want out.

  • You phoned

    … this is what I didn’t say.

  • New

    staring at a full moon
    spilling over crashing waves
    spraying foam in shining eyes
    staring at a full moon
    – MOSSEL BAY, 27 NOV 2012

  • iPhone cases are here!

    Just in time for the holidays – custom iPhone 4/4s & 5 cases from your friends at Instacanvas! These impact resistant cases protect your phone while also giving you access to all ports and functions. We proudly use CaseMate cases for a sleek look that shows off both your phone and your amazing taste in Instagram art. Check out my gallery and order your favorites: instacanv.as/absolutwillie