A Splintered Mind

The chaos that is the Brownie is at her mother's, finally asleep. All that remains of her is the debris left behind in her tornado's wake. Not even my latest claw acquisition remains as a cute accent on the dump I call my apartment. With her angelic absence, I was finally able to work on the business cards I intended to use later today. What a handful she has been this summer! You have no idea. After all, how could you? I have kept the drama tight to my vest. And here I am, changing the subject. Now I can at last prevent entropy from destroying my kitchen, finish the laundry before the cycle of chaos begins again Sunday night, and wind down with ethereal shoe-gazer music in the background. Morpheus calls, but he's a dull old boy and easily ignored. In the morning, I will rush off to Fedex Office and print the business cards that I didn't have ready for the last conference I attended, then I will race along the Wasatch Front to arrive at the Community & Family...

Saturday: It's about this time of the summer every year that I suddenly realize there is a very good reason why I have not accomplished even half of what I set out to do: Summer vacation. I must live in a fantasy bubble , but I forget year after year that when the kids are home over the summer, I don't get much done. Every year I set big, amazing goals, and every summer I beat myself up for failing at them. Then I remember, duh, hello? Summer vacation. You'd think with only one kid at home that I'd manage to master this conundrum, but I'm afraid the Brownie has the best of me. It could be that my brain damaged, learning disabled, epileptic daughter with cerebral palsy is time consuming. I'm just going to throw that one out there as a possibility.  Here's what I can tell you that has been done. My work on my upcoming Fighting Depression book is coming along, as in, I've reworked the first chapter so many times that I've lost track of the edits, bu...

Sometimes days don't go as planned. With my tic disorder and a sudden bout of depression, Sunday started off poorly: Having a very difficult time with #depression today. Worst I’ve had in a while. So, sunshine & a mountain hike is my prescription. — Douglas Cootey (@SplinteredMind) July 31, 2016 That tweet was the turn around moment for me. Before that, I missed church because I was ticking, but I was also too depressed to get out of bed. I was wallowing!! When was the last time I did that? Since my daughter, Bri'anna Joy, was in town from Germany, we had planned a big daddy/daughter hike with me and my four girls, and there I was lying in bed thinking of cancelling. That thought was so distasteful to me that it shocked me into awareness: I was depressed. Once I diagnosed the problem, I began to think of solutions. Get up. Eat. Shower. Get ready. Go have fun with your daughters! I tweeted my resolution and got to work. Identifying depression is an enormous step. It can sl...