For most of my life, I looked like I had it all figured out. Career? On point. Family? Engaged. Bills? Paid on time. I checked every box society handed me. All while slowly drowning in alcohol and denial. High-functioning alcoholism is a mind****. It convinces everyone you’re thriving, especially you.

I write because I have to. If I don’t get this story out, it’ll keep owning me.
I’ve spent over two decades teaching high school English and never once questioned the path. I love what I do. The classroom gives me purpose, but writing gives me release.

Functioning Just Fine (And Other Lies I Told Myself) was born out of 33 years trapped in a life that looked good on the outside and quietly wrecked me from the inside. I write for the ones stuck in the same lie, the ones who pour a drink after a long day and call it “normal.”

My influences? Jack Kerouac’s wild rhythm, Salinger’s quiet rebellion, Burroughs’ chaos, Ginsberg’s howl, and Bukowski’s bare-knuckle truth. I don’t write for applause. I write for impact.

I created Functioning Just Fine because if I could build a life that looked successful while buried deep in a bottle, I can only imagine what the next 33 years will look like without one. I also strive to be a contributing voice in the conversation most people are too afraid to have—to call out the devastation, the denial, and the perfectly packaged lies that high-functioning alcoholism feeds us. This isn’t just my story. It’s the story of millions hiding in plain sight.