Category: Essays

Perhaps You Should See a Counselor: Why Talking to Someone Is a Courageous Act

By Jeffrey Pillow on November 9, 2018 — 17 mins read

Perhaps you should see a counselor. I’ve given this advice to a handful of people the last few years, and for good reason. From a mental health standpoint, it’s one of the single best decisions I’ve made in my life. I understand taking the step in scheduling an appointment with a counselor is easier said than done. It’s also far easier than you think it is difficult. What’s holding you back, more than likely, is stigma and pride. I know because I’ve been there. When I went to the doctor for the first time shortly after my dad died, my doctor recommended I speak with a counselor. It was obvious I was experiencing grief and depression. She wrote down the name of someone, including the phone number. I didn’t have to do any digging on my part. She had done all the heavy lifting for me. All I had to do was pick up the phone and call. I lied and said I would, and never did. It would take me another five years to call the number my doctor had given me that day. All the while, I had slowly been dying on the inside by not addressing the lingering depression, coupled with anxiety, within me. I’m not going to say I would be dead or lying in a gutter somewhere had I not started seeing a counselor, but I do think where I am today — mentally and even physically — can be partially attributed to me taking the initial step I had put off for too long: talking to someone. I hope you will continue reading this essay... More

I listened to Taylor Swift and my ears did not bleed. Instead, they rejoiced: an exploration into music on repeat

By Jeffrey Pillow on August 30, 2017 — 11 mins read

Something I learned while on a recent family vacation: Taylor Swift, not that bad. As we made our way through the road construction on I-64 en route to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, my wife switched out our usual travel playlist, the Trolls soundtrack, with “Welcome to New York” by Taylor Swift. “Not bad,” I said to my wife, as I glanced in the rearview mirror to see my daughter nodding along, singing in her car seat. “Has a very 1980s synth-pop feel to it.” Later that evening as we checked into our hotel in Williamsburg, which my wife got a sweet deal on, I connected to free, unsecured wi-fi (always a solid idea) and downloaded “Welcome to New York” on my July playlist on Spotify, and hit the +1 button. Fast forward a few hours and I would fall asleep listening to Taylor Swift on repeat while reading STORY: STYLE, STRUCTURE, SUBSTANCE, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF SCREENWRITING, by Robert McKee—a very common summer read for those unaware. More