Life after door kicking.

Author: lifeafterdoorkicking

  • Violence Is Violence—No Matter the Idea

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    I’ve seen what real violence looks like. I’ve walked through the streets of Baghdad after Saddam fell, where hatred exploded around every corner. Bodies in alleys. Trunks filled with the dead. Streets littered with people murdered for nothing more than who they were, what they believed, what sect they were born into. Sunni. Shia. Kurd.…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • Tonight I am wondering about the direction of the country I grew up in and fought for.

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    What are you doing this evening? The Dangers of Political Violence and the Urgency of Cooler Heads The assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University is a chilling reminder of how fragile our civic fabric has become. Political murder is a line no society can cross without unraveling. Today’s tragedy has drawn universal condemnation…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • When A Mask Becomes A Weapon

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    Thin Line Between Influence and Manipulation: Listening, Psychology, and Intent I’ve been diving into psychology books like The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. What they reveal about human behavior is powerful—and honestly, a little unsettling. These books agree on something deceptively simple:…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • Not 27 anymore.

    I turn 40 this morning, and honestly—it feels surreal. For so long, I’ve been joking that I was 27. I said it so often I’d sometimes forget my real age. But here I am, four decades in, and it feels different. Not in a bad way—just in a way that makes me stop and really…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • The Soviets showed us what not to do. We did it bigger.

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    What We Left Behind We recently pulled out of the country, and after all that time, it feels like we left things not much different from when I was there over 20 years ago. One of my biggest fears won’t come true now, at least — my son won’t fight the same war I fought.…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • Canada’s Self-Defense Problem: The Freedom It Won’t Tolerate

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    The Canadian Image vs. Reality Canada often positions itself as the progressive antidote to American chaos. In the Trump era especially, it became fashionable for Canadians—and the media at large—to point across the border and say, “We’re not like them.” Open. Inclusive. Peaceful. But beneath the politeness and pride lies a deeply unsettling contradiction: Canada…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • We’re so much more than the sum of our parts.

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    We Live Fast—And Judge Faster We live in a fast-paced world. Information flies at us from every direction — our phones buzz, feeds refresh, and opinions are delivered in under 280 characters. Convenience is king, and speed is the unspoken currency. But in the middle of this rush, something subtle happens: our attention span shrinks,…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • Why I write

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    I was never the type who loved writing in school. Essays felt stiff. Book reports were a chore. But even back then, I was writing—just not the kind they asked for. I wrote lyrics. Rhymes scribbled in spiral notebooks, verses built in my head while walking alone, staring at ceilings, or laying in the dark.…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • Tend the Trees, Save the Forest: Why Local Politics Matters More Than You Think

    Every four years, America holds its collective breath. Red and blue maps flood every screen. Cable news runs 24/7. Social media turns into a battlefield of memes and outrage. All eyes lock onto the national stage, and we act like the presidency alone will make or break our lives. But while we argue over the…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking

  • Fighting for Routine: Discipline in the Middle of Recovery

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    Recovery Doesn’t Come With a Roadmap Recovery doesn’t come with a roadmap—especially when the body you’re trying to reclaim doesn’t move the same way it used to. After my spinal fusion, I wanted nothing more than to get back to rolling, lifting, and running—back to what once made me feel strong. But I knew I…

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    lifeafterdoorkicking