Author: 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.…

  • 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…

  • 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,…

  • 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.…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • The rebel, the pervert, the gentleman and the philosopher.

    How would you describe yourself to someone? Well, I’ve got a shirt that does a pretty damn good job: Gentleman. Philosopher. Pervert. Rebel. I’m a gentleman thanks to my mom. She raised me solo in the ’90s, doing her best to keep me grounded while juggling everything life threw her way—some job changes, a few…

  • Shatter assumptions

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    Throughout my life, people have made assumptions about me. Some were off-base, reflections of their own projections. Others? I can’t deny—I planted them myself, deliberately, with a kind of quiet calculation. There’s something undeniably powerful in shaping the narrative before others can write it for you. In this way, I’ve used misdirection not unlike a…

  • Life After Door Kicking: Why I Had to Start Writing or Explode

    What’s the story behind your nickname? “LifeAfterDoorkicking” came about while I was racking my brain for a name that captured the mess, meaning, and momentum of everything I wanted to say. I had this piece—this raw, unfinished, rewritten dozen-times-over piece—sitting in my phone notes, itching to break out of the screen and into the world.…

  • Burned out not broken.

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    It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here.The truth is, I’ve been in the middle of rebuilding—not just my body, but my routines, my mindset, and my connection to the people who matter most to me. After my accident, recovery took priority. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. I had to figure…