My Personal Evolution

A Journal Introduction

From stinging monster, soaring eagle, and phoenix rising, I have evolved through the ranks of Scorpio, ultimately emerging from the ashes of decay.

When I proceeded to begin blogging two years ago, I had only recently returned from the land of the dead. Or, as some may see it: The drug world. Regardless of having less than six months of sobriety, I was already on the path, and my path would be cleared. The answer is always “yes.” Assistance can and does come in many forms: mysterious ways and all that.

At some point along the way down, I had excepted the arduous reality of my circumstance. I would be required to lose it all before the possibility of journeying back to this world. Not a single material object withstood the fall.

I would never settle for simply regaining my previous strength or rebuilding my old life. I had bulldozed every ounce of rubble, carefully packing and shaping the surface into an indestructible foundation created from my death. I would build a new life on the ashes of my old life.

Returning from the dead is not without its challenges. One does not simply hop back into the world of the living, flailing about and shouting, “Hellooooo, I’m back!” If the world doesn’t notice you’re gone, do not expect anyone to be pointing to a large [X] and holding a sign [START].

Joseph Shanklin

May 29, 2021