What are the days of our lives, if not the passing of time into tomorrow? The moments here and now are stolen away and buried under all that will be, cast long like a shadow of the future. That darkened image sketched before me, mirroring back my movements, copying my arm waves and leg shuffles—it grows the darkest in December. Always black as the evening tide in the ides of December. I hate the twelfth month of the year, when everything’s rounded out and times tick down and everyone’s busy as the bees in spring. But it’s winter, it’s hibernation time, ice-time, time to batten down the hatches ..read more

“You ever look outside and just get lost in the seasons?” he said, pacing around the shop. His eyes were glued to the waves of tumbling leaves wafting around on the wind outside. It was their time to die, their time to break off the twigs and branches that once held them tight. Their time to gracefully flip over a few times before resting between the blades of brown and yellow grass. I’d seen Gavin in here many times before, but rarely ever talked to him. We usually just exchanged glances, head nods, and when one of us sneezed, the other would bless. This coffee shop was a sort of home-away-f ..read more

The other day I was pouring through YouTube videos, crawling down rabbit holes, refreshing new clips every ten or fifteen minutes. Nothing was connected. It was video game reviews, politics, then a tutorial on French pressing coffee. Music videos for the new country songs I’ve been vibing out to. And boy, have I. Country music—the hidden genre I always thought I hated but am winding up loving. It’s strange, but I’m here for it. Just shrugging my shoulders and crawling down rabbit holes all the time and letting the mud stain me up. Along the way, I heard a quote. One of those blurbs that float ..read more

In this week’s installment of Bedletter, I’m diving back into the discussion I had with Ashley Bernardi! Ashley is the author of the new book, Authentic Power: Give Yourself Permission to Feel. This is the second half of my interview with her, where we continue peeling apart ways we can get primal with our meltdowns, how Ashley’s FEEL framework can be used to navigate difficult emotions, how she has taken on the task of rebalancing her body after intense trauma, and what she learned from speaking to over 20 experts in her research for this book. In Ashley’s new book, set to release on Decembe ..read more

This week, I’m joined by Ashley Bernardi! Ashley is the author of the new book, Authentic Power: Give Yourself Permission to Feel. She’s also the founder of her own media company, Nardi Media, and has previously worked as a veteran news booker with CBS, energyNOW!, and the Washington Post Live—just to name a few. Ashley is the survivor of previous trauma and post traumatic stress disorder, as well as Lyme disease. Through her struggles, defeats, successes, and triumphs, she has formulated a perspective on life that is incredibly positive, realistic, and insightful. Not to mention completely c ..read more

I hate binging, and yet that behavior still worms its way into my life at times. My most recent slip came at the hands of Netflix’s new hit, Squid Game. This week I’m yapping about the dangers of binging T.V., why I enjoyed Squid Game so much, and how great South Korean movie and show productions are. Along with that, as I round one of the final corners of writing my book, I’ve been editing the early chapters in tandem. As I plan to have the main meat of the book finished by the end of 2021, the editing process has been a roller coaster. Some days I’m left liberated and excited about what I’v ..read more

Hurricane Ida was the second most destructive hurricane to make landfall in the United States, with winds reaching up to 149mph. While many civilians were busy evacuating or hunkering down in their homes, a large population of homeless people were outside trying to obtain shelter of their own. Some made it into hotels, apartments, hospitals, and homeless shelters, while others were forced to hide behind walls and use trees to shield from the wind. The homeless story of Hurricane Ida is an interesting one—filled with tales of incredible endurance, striking survival, and a deep love of home: New ..read more

Listen now (70 min) | Where do the homeless go in a natural disaster? Do they find shelter, are they cared for? The answers may surprise you. In this Voices production, Christian heads back out on the streets to gather the stories of homeless people who endured Hurricane Ida. In the most intense hurricane since Katrina, Ida left destruction in its wake. This is the first in a two-part series detailing the homeless experience through Ida. Episode 60. Get full access to Bedletter with Christian Ashliman at bedletter.substack.com/subscribe ..read more

Unscripted, off-the-record, brain-dumping fun in this solo flight. Christian rants about Covid-19 vaccination passports in New Orleans, his experience hanging out with the homeless for the upcoming 'Voices' release, what hurricane damage looks like in-person, how his book is coming along, and why it's always good to get new shoes. Episode 59.  Subscribe at bedletter.substack.com  Follow Christian on Twitter   Support the show (https://bedletter.substack.com/welcome) Get full access to Bedletter with Christian Ashliman at bedletter.substack.com/subscribe ..read more

Anam, a citizen living in Lahore, Pakistan, provides detailed insight on how the Pakistan government has handled the Covid-19 pandemic. Anam is an e-learning social studies teacher who records lectures for Pakistani students and uploads them to YouTube. In this episode, Anam and Christian discuss the restrictions and policies born out of the Coronavirus in Pakistan, whether or not she approves of them, and what the long term impact may be. Episode 58. Left With No Other Option column available on Substack  Subscribe and find out more at bedletter.substack.com  Follow Christian on Twi ..read more