Life Beyond Cloud Nine: Yes, the Puppies Poop on the Clean Floor, Too

If you’re looking for a blog where every day is sunshine, every vacation is flawless, and every family gathering looks like a greeting card, you may have taken a wrong turn.

My blog, social media posts, and videos are a very unfiltered version of life. Sometimes I’m on cloud nine. Sometimes I’m trying to figure out how to get my popcorn and soda to my movie theater seat.

Both belong in the story.

For at least ten years, LinkedIn was about the extent of my social media presence. And even there, I didn’t post. I had either deleted Facebook or stopped engaging with it. I wasn’t on the newer platforms the kids were using—the TikTok, the Instagram, the Snapchat, and whatever else I was supposed to be downloading.

I stepped away because comparing my life to everybody else’s was doing a number on me.

Everywhere I looked, people seemed to be living exceptional lives. Amazing vacations. Awesome careers. Luxurious homes. Happy marriages. Families that weren’t toxic.

Meanwhile, I looked at my own life and wondered why mine didn’t look like that. The comparison drove me crazy. I felt depressed and anxious, and scrolling gave me more reasons to feel like I was falling behind.

So I stopped.

For a long time, I needed to stay away.

Then Laura, my physical therapist at MUSC, suggested that sharing my experience could give other amputees hope. Maybe someone trying to figure out their own life after an amputation could find something useful in mine.

That gave me a reason to come back.

I had no clue then that God would give me the strength to battle end-stage renal disease, failing eyes, and more. I came back to share my experience as an amputee, and life kept giving me more to write about.

My faith is part of that story. So are the hard days. Having faith doesn’t mean I suddenly have a perfect life to show off. It means I can tell you where I find strength while I’m living through it.

I write and post because I want life to feel relatable. I want someone to read something I share and think, “Okay. Somebody else gets it.”

And yes, I have some awesome experiences.

I go on cruises while continuing my search for a future ex-wife to share them with. Apparently, romance is alive and well, and my marketing strategy needs work.

I watch a bunch of movies. I also ask for help getting my popcorn and soda to my seat. That little detail belongs in the story just as much as whether the movie was any good.

There is enjoyment in my life. There is also illness, uncertainty, and the practical business of needing a hand sometimes. I can have a wonderful experience without everything else suddenly being wonderful.

That’s what you’ll find here.

If you’re tired of reading about how perfect everyone else’s life appears to be, follow along. Share my page with someone who could use a little hope, a laugh, or the comfort of knowing they aren’t the only one figuring things out.

I’ll keep sharing the cruises, the movies, the struggles, the faith, and whatever happens with that future ex-wife search.

Life isn’t all unicorns, puppies, and kittens that don’t poop on the floor.

Yes, they poop on a clean floor, too.