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
American Segregation: The Mask Unveiled By Jeffrey Pillow on July 22, 2012 — 1 min read At the core of American racism during the late 19th and early 20thcenturies lies a putrid heart of darkness—filled with white supremacy, escalating horrific violence, and the continuing mount of cultural and racial segregation in the United States through various means physical and judicial. The prevalence found in the relationship of this brutality led to... More