Fury is what I feel when I’m helpless. Plus fear is what I feel when my amygdala kicks in with the fight-or-flight reaction (FFR) and I can’t make it stop. Equals General Anxiety Disorder. Looks pretty simple, but it isn’t. If I broke into rages instead of a panic attack, then my fury would beContinue reading “Fury + Fear = General Anxiety Disorder?”
Author Archives: I.O. Kirkwood
That’s Not How Feminism Works, Sweetheart
I know you feel men and women should at least be equal, right? You’re very vocal about this, but I’ve seen you use your feminine charms to crush a besotted male. I’ve seen you order men around because you know they want to get between your thighs and that you have agency of yourself soContinue reading “That’s Not How Feminism Works, Sweetheart”
Toddlers: How Mine Survived
Raising children is a fine line between harnessing demons and treating them as humans. It’s a difficult job. I’m so glad I’m done. See, I despise toddlers. I despised my own and I despise other people’s toddlers. Even when toddlers do the cutest things, more often than not, I’ve had to wrestle with them theContinue reading “Toddlers: How Mine Survived”
Old Lady Badges
As I get older, I realize that my mother was an old lady well before her body had caught up. I don’t know if it’s my medication or a strict code of courtesy that my mother had passed to me when she died, but I have begun to collect my Old Lady Badges. What areContinue reading “Old Lady Badges”
The Release of Death
I can only speak of my own experience now that someone with enormous influence over my life has died. I could write about the horrors of those last two weeks or how I cried when I made one of the most harrowing decisions of my life. Instead, I’m going to write about the last twoContinue reading “The Release of Death”
The Art of Courtesy
I am no Miss Manners. I curse like a sailor. I have foot-in-mouth syndrome to such a degree that LSCWs despair of my ever being cured. But there is one thing my father taught me, and it is the bedrock of all good things in society. He told me this as a child and IContinue reading “The Art of Courtesy”
An Open Letter to Melissa
Dear Missy: I’m writing this letter and making it public now that school shootings have become a “normal” fact of life. To me, you are kindness incarnate, and though I may never reach such heights, your nature is a standard that I’ve made my own. I was an awkward girl: small, thin, and poorly dressed.Continue reading “An Open Letter to Melissa”
Relapse Is No Fun
Keep in mind that this a first person narrative based on reading and experiences over the years. I highly recommend that you do your own research. New discoveries are being made all the time. Bipolar is a physical illness in the brain, one that if not treated, has the potential to shrink the corpus callosumContinue reading “Relapse Is No Fun”
Confessions of a Crazy Woman
I believe in telepathy. I believe in Twin Flames, but beliefs are irrational. I want facts. I want to confirm that I’m not crazy. Or that I am. There is the Man in my head. He speaks to me and no one else can hear him. But he isn’t a spirit guide because heContinue reading “Confessions of a Crazy Woman”
NaNoWriMo: Introversion for Introverts
I have my outline, my sketches, and my worksheets all filled out. I spent most of October hidden away as I prepared for this triathlon of thought, imagination, and the clicking sounds of the keyboard. I’ve completed 25,000 words already and we’re only a third of the way through. I’m on fire! I’m also offContinue reading “NaNoWriMo: Introversion for Introverts”
I.O. Kirkwood 