There was a prior version of Steve’s Thoughtcrimes for a number of years. Essentially, it was a venue of my own design, my own arrangement, and my own judiciary where I could write whatever I wanted. If pressed for a more noble purpose, Steve’s Thoughtcrimes was a daily task of writing just anything as a routined wellness and recovery tool after my last days away at Kamp Kaseman in 2012.

Looking back at that prior incarnation of STC (already there is an acronym reflexively vomited forth – thank you, New Mexico Behavioral Health World), there wasn’t much reason, rhyme, or refereeing of the content. Anything that came to mind had an equal chance of elbowing out anything else that came to mind during that day. Often, the elbowing created enough room for four or five entries for the day, a sure sign that a bump in Seroquel was in immediate need.

Apparently, this left the page open to any variety of theme, be it a bunch of stray thoughts to use as stand-up gig fodder (“cat vs. electricity” found its way into my vernacular via STC) or a commentary on what was happening in the world around me and you and cats. Lots of cat jokes. And occasionally something insightful.

Looking closer at that prior incarnation of STC, quite a lot of the content was a reflection of my recovery journey through the wonders of bipolar. Rightfully so. I live the life of a person dealing with the symptoms of bipolar every picosecond of every megaday. It’s a natural extension of myself to write what I know.

Steve’s Thoughtcrimes is ready for a second go, STC 2.0, and this time around I want to put more thought into the crimes I post here. Since 2012, I’ve become so much more aware of the life experiences of mental health peers, and I’ve become so much more aware of my own place in this not-so-rarified community. My involvement since 2012, where I wore the advocacy tophat of “DBSA Albuquerque President”, has given way to more specified and passionate identifiers like “Mental Health Response Advisory Committee Member”, “Bernalillo County Forensic Intervention Consortium Executive Board Member”, “Crisis Intervention Team Peer Presenter” and “Generalized Social Hemorrhoid at Behavioral Health Meetings.”

What to do with STC 2.0? I feel using this greater awareness as the divining rod to locate fresh wells of inspiration is an easy task. I’ve got more than enough opinions, I’ve got more than enough empirical skills, and I’ve got more than enough empathetic wisdom to say what many might shy away from out of political correctness muscle memory or re-election bids.

Factor in that people are the most interesting creatures in the entire history of ever, and that humankind is somewhere between a cosmic kneeslap and a grand universal experiment, and it’s just a matter of wind it up and watch it go… while I take notes for blogging later that day.

The underscore is I’ve always been entirely transparent in what I’ve wanted to accomplish in my behavioral health advocacy, and that is this simple and plain:

I want to do whatever I can to help my friends have as successful and joyful of lives as they want for themselves.

So that’s as good of a Calaveras County starting point as any. Don’t be too bent if I post a few cat jokes now and again. I’ve got to keep myself entertained or at the minimum interested in this website.  My perspective is as unique as anyone else’s, and I believe I’m a lot more interesting as I really am.

Let’s see where this modest hubris leads.

quid dictum latine sit altum viditur

Steve Bringe – May 25, 2016, about 11:11 PM.