They say good intentions can still lead us somewhere dark—but what about everything painfully real in between?

— Inspired by “Living the Dream,” Five Finger Death Punch

Well, folks, here I am MENTIONING IT! After all, this is day one of Mental Health Awareness Month 2024, so what better way to kick it off than with this poignant reminder:

Take a look around!

Just look around!

Statistics say that someone you know could be suffering in agony and silence, with voices in their head telling them they don’t belong here anymore. It could even be that total stranger with a big FAKE smile on their face standing right beside you somewhere while you’re out there “living the dream.”

Trust me, I KNOW THIS, because for those of you who haven’t been around this Diary long enough and perhaps don’t already know, not only was I married to one of those people, I used to BE one of those people.

Meanwhile, with no visible symptoms and just a head full of black, empty darkness, indeed, it is true that one of the biggest problems someone suffering with a mental illness faces is the people who either can’t, don’t, or won’t believe they’re really “sick.” Lookit, I’m not trying to scare the living HELL out of you—but then again, maybe I am.

Be mindful …

… be aware …

… BE KIND …

… and for Christ’s sake, please NEVER take your own sound mental wealth for granted. Not everyone gets out of this thing in one piece, and not everyone is “living the dream.”

Oh, and FYI, the quote work above is a collaboration between me and my insanely talented Mona Lisa and her “Phoenix Collaborative Project.” That “bleeding heart man” of hers has already spoken its piece “In His Remains” a couple of years ago at the beginning of our “mental wealth” journey together—he, too, carrying a hauntingly poignant message about mental illness all his own.

LIVING THE DREAM

Five Finger Death Punch’s “Living the Dream” turns the idea of the heroic American dream inside out: beneath the symbols, crowns, strength, and good intentions are broken people, sorrow, isolation, and the uncomfortable truth that not everyone who looks fine is actually living anything close to a dream.

— Inspired by “Living the Dream,” Five Finger Death Punch