I’m avoiding the computer. I’m afraid that once I sit down, I’ll figure out how I really feel and I’ll judge myself for my thoughts/feelings/actions during the period I’m writing about. Writing has been healing for me this year—-I just can’t put my ass in the chair.

Here’s Silky! My first pet of my own. I inherited her from an elderly friend who passed away and…with respect to the pet-as-family thing…I get it now.

Hi Folks! I'm Ames (she/her), and I live in Tucson, AZ. I wanted to join TUSC after doing a deep dive through Esmé’s website and Substack. I knew that this is the type of community that would provide guidance, encouragement, and healing. I have never been able to settle on a favorite book, but the one that is floating in my head right now is Abraham Verghese's "In My Own Country." The book recounts Verghese's experience as a doctor in rural Tennessee during the AIDS crisis of the mid 1980s. I read the book as a a college freshman in 2001. The class was "The Literature and Art of AIDS in America." 9/11 happened three weeks into the term. That tragedy bonded the class, and imbued every reading and discussion with unusual significance. The book itself carved its way into my heart. I am writing a book of personal essays based on my experience of being diagnosed autistic/ADHD at 40, and how that has caused me to reflect on various experiences in my life. I also have negotiated mental health disorders that I will incorporate. ➡️ What are you interested in writing about?