Bobby Dean

I know my brain isn’t normal. Do I think I’m neurodivergent? No. But whatever’s going on up there isn’t programmed like the “average bear.” Some shit is wired like a drunk hillbilly that gets the job done. When I was a kid, they told my mom I was crazy smart, but once 3rd grade hit, I was held back. Can I do math? Nope. I still count on my fingers and use a tip calculator everywhere. Hence, the whole holding-me-back thing in school. But I could rip through Stephen King’s IT by 10 years old...

Getting punched in the face sucks. Having someone’s fist slam into your skull doesn’t feel awesome. Experiencing the pain of your lips grinding into your teeth is less than a good time. Fighting, in general, is pretty terrible. As much as we culturally love watching two greased-up, shirtless gladiators swap licks in the UFC ring, the rest of us could probably do without our half-assed Mortal Kombat moves. The feeling of your hands aching when connecting to another person’s body doesn’t feel...

In a pandemic-driven world, a lot is up for debate. We’ve had many cultural conversations on finding your place, knowing who you are, and what your worth is. Life is complicated. It’s critical to find space at the table for everyone. Equality and equanimity are essential - no matter our tax bracket. Because of the pandemic, many of us have heard the wolves at the door. We know someone who lost their job, their house, or watched their life go underwater. We saw the lines at the food banks, we...