Hi. I’m TJ Tryon.
This blog is a spillover from my journals—most of which you will never see, some of which you probably shouldn’t, and a small fraction of which might actually matter. At least to me. I just turned 52 in 2025. I’ve been retired since 2017, which sounds a lot better than it actually is. My wife Jennifer and I have been married a little over a decade now, and she’s been here for all of it—the good, the bad, and the medically documented.
In 2017, I fell twenty-two feet and landed head-first on concrete. The result was a traumatic brain injury, post-concussion syndrome, and PTSD. If you’ve never had your brain rebooted the hard way, I don’t recommend it. Things change after that. Not in a cinematic, inspirational way—just quieter, harder, and more complicated. Relationships get strained. Some fracture. Some don’t recover. You stop reacting on autopilot and start questioning things you assumed were permanent. There’s no neat arc here. It just kind of sucks.
Somewhere along the way, I started reading for pleasure again. Actual books. Paper. Ink. That led me back to journaling—pen, notebook, no audience. These posts are what make it out of that process. If I decide an entry is worth reliving, it ends up here. My threshold for that decision is intentionally low. Most of it will probably hit the blog wall and stick. Some of it won’t. That’s fine.
You’ll notice I’m light on details about my kids and other people in my life. That’s deliberate. Those stories live in my notebooks, not necessarily here. Some things aren’t mine to publish, even if they’re mine to process.
Expect inconsistency. Some posts will be over-baked, chewed on for too long, and still undercooked. Others will be a list of ideas, fragments, or half-sentences that may turn into something later—or may die quietly and deservedly. This isn’t a content strategy. It’s a mental maintenance routine. The goal is focus, order, and keeping the noise manageable.
If you’re reading along, thanks. If you like what you read, feel free to subscribe. If you really like it, I accept Chipotle gift cards of literally any amount. If you’re feeling nostalgic or dangerously generous, first-wave vinyl is always welcome—Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Psychedelic Furs, and absolutely anything Tears for Fears. Surprise me with something. Or nothing. Even a good YouTube link counts.
My emotional state is still a little brittle. Small gestures help more than they should. They buy me time to think, recalibrate, and occasionally smile without forcing it. If that resonates, I appreciate it.
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TJ Tryon
PO Box 255
Arcadia, IN 46030
tj@tjtryon.com
@tjtryon
