Exploring Existence with a Certifiable Vagabond

A lot of thought went into my blog name & I'd like to share its meaning with you, dear reader.

Here you will find two main themes: exploring existence & becoming known.

Exploring Existence

Explore: to travel in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about or familiarize oneself with it.

Existence: the fact or state of living or having objective reality.

This is an adventure through unknown territory on a quest to uncover new information about life in order to better formulate an objective reality. Knowledge is power, & understanding leads to deeper, more effective compassion & empathy. Identity: sense of self; the distinguishing character or personality of an individual; the condition of being oneself; providing sameness & continuity in personality over time, & sometimes disturbed in mental illnesses. While exploring existence, it’s possible to define one’s identity beyond the expectations & standards of society.

Journey with me in discovering who we are beneath the faked smiles & rough edges. Become known to yourself, then known to the world. I dare you to be genuine, unique, & vulnerable in a world of boringly comfortable copycats. I dare you to be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.

Certifiable Vagabond

Certifiable: fit to be certified as insane; crazy; officially considered to be seriously mentally ill & officially recognized as needing treatment for a mental disorder; legally committable to a mental institution.

There’s another use of the adjective “certifiable,” & it also suits my identity: genuine; real; authentic.

Vagabond: a person who moves from place to place without a permanent home & often without a regular means of support; a carefree person living an unsettled life; a person with an uncertain or irregular course or direction; a wanderer.

The fact is, I am a certifiable vagabond. That is a portion of my identity, & I find no shame in it. I reject society’s expectations & its shallow use of the term success, which is actually defined as “the accomplishment of one’s goals.” If my goals revolve around community & self-awareness & pleasant peace & grand adventures & priceless experiences, my life will look very different from those prioritized with careers & social appearances & wealth & pleasure & achievements. If all I accomplish in this life is deeply loving one human being & being equally loved back, I have been truly successful. I seek success more valuable than popularity or money could ever be.

Above all, I seek authenticity. Nothing provokes more thrilling joy than a vulnerable, intimate conversation with a fellow life-traveler. I aim to be genuine in all I do & say. I refuse to be ashamed of my humanity—my mistakes, weaknesses, & flaws—, & I refuse to be afraid of sharing about those imperfections. I am proud of the struggles I’ve faced & not been destroyed by; proud of the life-altering insights I’ve gained through the pain; proud of my potential to positively impact the lives of others.

I may be certifiably insane, & I may be unstable as I wander through life, but this is who I am, & I accept that; rejoice in that; take pride in that. I have a story that is unique & beautiful, & that is something that no one can ever take away from me.

Conclusion

This blog will provide encouragement & information surrounding the subject of mental illness. I have a long list of blog topic ideas. For each one, I outline the post: what do I want to say & in what order? Once written, each blog post is carefully edited & re-edited before it's posted with a photograph.

One of every five people suffer from mental illness. It’s time to break through the ignorance & judgments that create stigma. It’s time to promote information about & awareness of mental illness. It’s time to talk about mental health. It’s time to start a conversation that matters.