[Trigger Warning]
My book, Life: It Sucks Sometimes, is an autobiographical story of my life over the past four years. The book covers two simultaneous journeys, both of which have shaped me, for better or for worse, into the person I am today. One journey is an academic one, a story of the “college experience” that, like the American Dream, is a wonderful goal to strive for, but most of the time doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped it would. The second journey, an internal journey, is that of mental illness. Given the growing discussion around mental illness, especially amongst those in our age group, I would be remiss if I didn’t share my story, to remind those who feel alone that there are people just like you, in all walks of life, and if you reach in all directions you will eventually find the hand that guides you to the happiness we are all meant to have.
The book itself is forged from components of a board game; The Game of Life (see what I did there?). The book’s cover and spine are made from the box itself, along with other miscellaneous materials, while the pages inside are both made from paper as well as actual segments from the game board. I thought the juxtaposition of a game-board would help balance out the more grim content in the book. In a way the book itself mirrors the life of somebody like myself. My exterior is in no way indicative of what is actually happening in my head, or what I feel. It’s only when you look deeper that you see the darker reality of life with mental illness.
To view the digital content of “Life: It Sucks Sometimes,” click on this hyperlink.