Hi. I\u2019m TJ Tryon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This blog is a spillover from my journals\u2014most of which you will never see, some of which you probably shouldn\u2019t, and a small fraction of which might actually matter. At least to me. I just turned 52 in 2025. I\u2019ve 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\u2019s been here for all of it\u2014the good, the bad, and the medically documented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019ve never had your brain rebooted the hard way, I don\u2019t recommend it. Things change after that. Not in a cinematic, inspirational way\u2014just quieter, harder, and more complicated. Relationships get strained. Some fracture. Some don\u2019t recover. You stop reacting on autopilot and start questioning things you assumed were permanent. There\u2019s no neat arc here. It just kind of sucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somewhere along the way, I started reading for pleasure again. Actual books. Paper. Ink. That led me back to journaling\u2014pen, 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\u2019t. That\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll notice I\u2019m light on details about my kids and other people in my life. That\u2019s deliberate. Those stories live in my notebooks, not necessarily here. Some things aren\u2019t mine to publish, even if they\u2019re mine to process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2014or may die quietly and deservedly. This isn\u2019t a content strategy. It\u2019s a mental maintenance routine. The goal is focus, order, and keeping the noise manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re 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\u2019re feeling nostalgic or dangerously generous, first-wave vinyl is always welcome\u2014Depeche 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n