The Guy Code
There are rules among men that nobody ever writes down, but everyone seems to understand. Veterans, bikers, and blue-collar guys have a habit of testing each other with sarcasm, insults, and relentless ribbing. As a transgender veteran, I don't always know which set of social rules I'm about to be judged by. Last weekend reminded me that sometimes the hardest part isn't surviving the test, it's explaining to the people you love why the test existed in the first place.
The Best Laid Plans
Sometimes the best weekends are the ones where absolutely nothing goes according to plan. A delayed motorcycle seat, a brutal ride across Colorado, missed events, and a chance conversation around a circle of folding chairs reminded me that life has a habit of changing the destination while you're still focused on the map.
Letting Off the Throttle
I found myself letting off the throttle this weekend. Not because I was tired. Not because the bike wasn't running right. Because for the first time in a very long time, I wasn't trying to get somewhere. I was exactly where I wanted to be: surrounded by veterans, raising money for kids, riding with good people, and sharing the road with a woman who makes my soul feel whole.
The Experiment
A Memorial Day reflection on military service, political division, civic pride, and the strange loneliness of modern America. A veteran rides through northern New Mexico searching for community, meaning, remembrance, and perhaps a little hope that the American spirit still exists beneath the noise.
Remember The Fallen
Memorial Day is supposed to be about remembrance, sacrifice, and the men and women who never came home. A submarine veteran reflects on military service, fallen sailors, branch rivalry, and the growing disconnect between national sacrifice and modern American comfort.
The Ones Who Find You Again
Sometimes the people who matter most aren’t the ones who are always there. They’re the ones who disappear for years and still find their way back. The ones who check in without being asked. The ones who remind you that you were never as alone as you thought.