Author Archives: chuckbjames

I stumbled upon a great movie the other night. About half way through it. I was home alone so normally I’m looking for a super hero movie or action or something like that. Instead I got sucked into Good Will Hunting. I vaguely remembered it and liked it, so I started watching it. It’s aboutContinue reading “It’s Not Your Fault…”

I got a call this week from a young man. He is losing his job…again. It’s late at night and my fingers freeze on the keyboard. I don’t know what to say. We all have fears. I’m tempted to tell you mine. But something in me says I need to stop doing that. Stop makingContinue reading “Am I Good….”

I wish I could talk to someone who has been in a war. What is it like to come home from a war and not be in “war mode”? How do they turn it off? How do you go from daily life and death threats to going to the grocery store and not looking aroundContinue reading “Returning from war…”

Stress got to me this weekend. Don’t really know why. Maybe because I revealed the details to my counselor and regret and shame have kicked in. And then, as I was writing in my journal and reading something hit me for the briefest of seconds. Trouble is the given. I spend SO much effort tryingContinue reading “Make it brief…”

Saw the cardiologist this week. Tried a different med. Nothing yet. He spent some time talking to me about…stress…because it definitely makes my condition worse. Asked me to take a hard look at my life. Make a hard choice about lifestyle change and reducing stress. Told me I needed to or bad things could happen.Continue reading “Stressful stress…”

Revealed the details today…first time in 43 years… What are the possible responses to doing that? Anger, Confusion, Fear, Frustration, Guilt, Shock And those are the possibilities of the one being told. What about the one telling the details? Shame, Fear, Vulnerable, Regret And what I realized today the only thing I needed to hear…IContinue reading “Details Details…”

As I read more and more about Job and other people’s comments on that biblical story, I’m finding myself realizing something. Both Job and God asked the exact same question. I never caught it before…until I heard myself asking God the same question a lot lately. It’s hard to see him. Thomas was one ofContinue reading “Tomatoe, tomato…”

When I was 12, I wanted to try out for the little world series team. There was a tryout in our home town because a regional tournament was to be played at Phil Welch stadium which was an old minor league stadium where I lived. It was beautiful. Dugouts like the pros, big stands… AtContinue reading “Show up…”

I’ve heard that a great self defense is one that allows the attacker to do what they do and use their force against them. In boxing, on the other hand, it appears that brute force with some technique is the process. In Karate it is “move according to your opponent”. One of the techniques ofContinue reading “Resistance is Futile…”

I genuinely found myself wondering today whether I should continue the blog or not. I’ve found myself much more fragile than I’m comfortable with. Talked to counselor about it and I believe it’s expected. Trauma, pain, covid, starting a new business, daughter off to college…it’s a lot. I remember when I was about 25 IContinue reading “Where’s my brace…”