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>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, GUYS.
I WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE SOMETHING WITH YOU GUYS AND I THINK MY PASSION MIGHT PALE IN
COMPARISON TO MY FRIENDS THAT WERE HERE BUT.
FROM THE TIME I WAS 11 YEARS OLD, I HAVE WADED THROUGH A MESS OF EPISODIC EXPERIENCES
WITH DEPRESSION, MANIA, PANIC, MEDICATION, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, MORE MEDICATION, MEDICATION
WITHDRAWAL FROM FLUSHING THE MEDICATION, MORE DEPRESSION, MANIA, PANIC AND MEMORY LOSS.
I'VE LAID ON MY KITCHEN FLOOR FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS AT A TIME AND NOT MOVED AND I HAVE
DRIVEN 95 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THE HIGHWAY WRITING POETRY IN SHARPIE ON MY STEERING WHEEL
CAUSE I WAS CONVINCED THAT I COULD SOLVE THE HOMELESSNESS IN BALTIMORE CITY WITH SOME
CLEVER AND BEAUTIFUL WORDS.
BENEATH ALL THESE EXTREME EXPERIENCES FOR ME, THOUGH, REALLY LAY SOME HEAVY BUT UNIVERSAL
QUESTIONS.
WHAT THE HELL DO HAPPY PEOPLE DO AND HOW DO THEY DO IT?
WHAT MAKES A GOOD PERSON?
AND HOW DOES ONE EVER BEGIN TO MAKE THEIR LIVES TURN OUT THE WAY THEY WANT?
I REMEMBER POSING THESE GRAND COSMIC QUESTIONS TO MY MOM AS A TEENAGER ON AN
INFURIATINGLY REGULAR BASIS AND SHE ALWAYS MANAGED TO ANSWER WITHOUT ROLLING HER EYES.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS SHE ALWAYS SAID TO ME THAT STICK IN MY HEAD THOUGH AND IT
USUALLY WENT SOMETHING LIKE -- LAUREN, HAPPINESS DOES NOT COME AS A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT.
AND IT'S NOT OFTEN SOMETHING WE OBTAIN AND JUST KEEP.
THERE'S NOT ONE THING THAT'S GOING TO FILL UP ALL OF OUR HOLES AND WHAT WE DO IS WE JUST
TRY AND TRY AND TRY AND AT SOME POINT WE START TO STRING TOGETHER THE HAPPY MOMENTS, KIND
OF LIKE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS EXCEPT THE ONES THAT GET TANGLED UP ALL THE TIME.
AND THOSE HAPPY MOMENTS THAT COME OF OUR TRYING AND TRYING.
NOW, AT 14 YEARS OLD, I FOUND HER METAPHOR HORRIBLY UNSATISFYING AND I MADE SURE THAT I
TOLD HER I REJECTED HER LOUSY WISDOM.
BUT, I HAVE WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN RECOVERY NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I HAVE
REPEATED HER LOUSY METAPHOR MORE THAN ONCE.
BECAUSE IT HAS PROVEN AS TRUE AS ANYTHING ELSE IN MY LIFE.
I WANT TO THANK MY MOM, NOT FOR HER METAPHORS BUT FOR BEING THE INEVITABLE AND UNWAVERING
SUPPORT IN MY LIFE THROUGH MY HARDEST TIMES.
I WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY AT ON OUR OWN OF MARYLAND FOR BELIEVING BEFORE I DID, THAT I
COULD BE A -- BOTH A TROUBLED KID IN MY EARLY 20s WITH AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF EMOTIONAL
BAGGAGE AND ALSO BE A FORCE OF KINDNESS AND SUPPORT FOR OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WERE
STRUGGLING.
I WANT TO THANK SAMHSA FOR RECOGNIZING THE HEART AND THE EFFORT THAT I'VE PUT INTO MY
WORK.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT WHO ARE UNWAVERING SUPPORTS FOR OTHERS, FOR
YOUR LOVED ONES AND ARE WILLING TO SHARE SOME OF THE RAW AND REAL TOUGH STUFF THAT THOSE
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SAVES LIVES.
AND I KNOW THIS NIGHT IS GOING TO BE A REAL BRIGHT SPOT ON MY STRING OF HAPPY MOMENTS AND
I'M SO GLAD TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU GUYS TONIGHT.