One of my first introductions to what would later become modern social justice training happened years ago while I was working as a Child Protective Services investigator in Arizona. At the time, I was also working toward becoming a therapist, and I believed strongly in treating people equally. I believed investigations should rise or fall […]
When Equality Became Equity (The Same Pants, Part 2) Read More »
My dad taught me something simple that has stayed with me my entire life. He used to say, “Everyone puts their pants on the same way, one leg at a time.” To some people, that may sound like just an old country saying, but to my father, it was a philosophy of life. My dad
The Same Pants (Part 1) Read More »
As some of you know, I often write about lessons I learned from my parents, grandparents, mentors, clients, students, and friends. (See the latest – https://wesleyphd.com/sometimes-gifts-come-back-to-us/) I have been incredibly blessed with wise people in my life, and I am deeply grateful for them. But lately I have been thinking about something else. That equation
The Other Side of Wisdom Read More »
When I was around eight years old, I saw something at our local J.J. Newberry’s store that I just had to buy for my grandpa. It was a little statue of an old man flexing his muscles with a cape and a giant S on his chest. The inscription read: Grandpa… You’re Super The first
Sometimes gifts come back to us Read More »
One thing about living in Kentucky is learning that nature is always trying to latch onto you. Ticks have been terrible this year because of the warm winter, and I have probably pulled thirty or fortoff me already. Yet as annoying as ticks are, they still do not compare to chiggers. If you have never
What Chiggers Taught Me About Addiction Read More »
Years ago, I worked as a mental health crisis counselor on a mobile crisis team. I loved that job. It was fast-paced, unpredictable, and emotionally intense. Police officers, hospitals, schools, families, and emergency dispatchers would call us when someone was threatening suicide, spiraling into psychosis, or emotionally collapsing in front of the people around them.
I keep thinking about this idea that we are all writing a story. None of us fully controls the opening chapters. Some people begin life surrounded by stability, encouragement, safety, and opportunity. Others begin with chaos, neglect, poverty, addiction, abuse, loss, discrimination, instability, or trauma. Life is not fair in how it distributes suffering. Some
You Still Hold the Pen Read More »
A year ago, I found myself facing one of the great realities of my age. At some point, your Amazon purchase history quietly shifts from gadgets and books to orthopedic inserts, fiber supplements, and the occasional emergency tube of hemorrhoid cream. Pride falls quickly when your internal plumbing declares mutiny. Naturally, I wanted to handle
Preparation H and the Mystery of the Playing Cards Read More »
Dawn and I have recently been falling asleep at night reviewing old episodes of Star Trek on Pluto TV. I love the nostalgia from those old shows I grew up with. I love the music, the corny costumes, the dramatic stories, and the impossible situations that somehow always seemed to land on Captain Kirk’s desk.
Captain Kirk and Impossible Scenarios Read More »
There is an old irony buried inside The Ransom of Red Chief that feels strangely modern right now. I found myself thinking about it recently while listening to the news and watching commentators talk about escalation with Iran, retaliation, deterrence, and the language nations always seem to use before they become trapped in something larger
Iran, The Ransom of Red Chief, and the Psychology of Escalation Read More »