Tom Stasio
Bio
I have always wanted to write. Covid-19 caused me to be unemployed and with plenty of free time. I hope what I share is relatable and/or entertaining.
Stories (24)
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Committed to Mental Health, Mindfulness, Gratitude, and Positivity
I have struggled with mental health for years. Depression is the shadow that haunts me the most. I am sure I’m not fully aware of how long I struggled with it, but I can look back and recognize behaviors that might be attributed to depression. I still have to wonder, though, which came first, drinking or the depression. I have always been open about my mental health issues. I don’t share every thought that pops into my head, but I share the struggles that I believe are obvious to those who know me well and occasionally I will share some of the darker moments. I do this because I think it is important for men to see it is something we struggle with and it is OK to ask for help. I share because I know that for many men, it feels weak to share their struggles. They feel compelled to hide their emotional issues… to bury them. I also hope that helps all who read my thoughts and struggle, not just men. Everyone.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Psyche
Hear Your Fortunes Change
Marcy Blaire sat on her porch waiting for the mail carrier. It was the third day in a row she sat in anticipation of the big delivery. It wasn’t as if she had better things to do. She was out of a job because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut and told one of the team leads to jump off a bridge. She didn’t think it was that serious, but HR told her it was a pattern of rude remarks and they terminated her employment. She couldn’t deny that she had a short fuse and vocalized it too often at work. She had always avoided curse words, but on more than one occasion she suggested inappropriate actions to those she felt were shit at their job. HR said she also scared some of her coworkers. So, it was a short goodbye. Now she sat waiting because she believed the strange woman at the end of a nameless road.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Humans
In Search of Unity, Freedom, and a Equality to Form a Greater America
We hear it being said often in recent months, even the last few years. "The country has never been more divided". There is plenty of blame cast around. The "far right" conservatives blame Obama. The "far left" Liberals blame Trump. The centrists are either content with letting it ride or they blame both sides. Government is seen as the enemy to nearly all sides. Of course, there are the ever present elites. Which elites depends on where your political ideology falls.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in The Swamp
Trump Should Learn Accountability Through Impeachment - a Veteran Perspective
The images of the US Capitol Building being attacked, vandalized, and calls for harming, even killing, members of our government are still clear in my mind. I did not need to watch the video presented at Trump's impeachment trial to be reminded, but I watched it anyway. Seeing our own citizens threaten our traditional and fair election still weighs heavily in my heart. It reminds me of the many times I have seen footage of violence breaking out in state houses of other countries. I would think, that would never happen in our country. I never would have thought that I would witness it happen in my lifetime. As much as I find our government flawed, I have not experienced nor seen any action that warrants what we saw on the 6th of January, 2021. Yet, we see that a demographic within our society felt the action was justified.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in The Swamp
The Payoff of Positivity and Living Your Best Life
I didn’t believe it. Although it was right in front of me, my mind didn’t want to accept that my writing could earn me more than praise from friends and family. The Universe is smiling on you, I thought. It was the best answer. I still had doubts about pursuing a career in writing at my age. I had been submitting things here and there, but nothing seemed to get many reads or returns. Of course, I was still working on a novel. I had hoped I could make some income writing for websites while I worked on it. Now it looked as though that idea was going to pay off. Not only would it pay off, but it was going to be enough to give me a few more months avoiding a return to corporate life.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Motivation
Extra Cash, Extra Trouble
Darren sat at the small table in his kitchen staring at the paper take out bag from The Cork. He found it on his enclosed front porch, apparently stuffed through the package slot he had built himself when he first bought the small home on Oak St. He thought it odd since he hadn’t ordered food from the pub and he was sure they were closed on Sundays. He had brought it in and set it on the table while he fixed a cup of coffee. He popped an English muffin in the toaster oven and opened the bag, barely recognizing that it didn’t feel warm with food. His eyes never leaving the bag, he pulled out one of the wobbly chairs and sat down. It contained two straps of $100.00 bills. Someone had left $20,000.00 on his porch. It had to be a mistake. The toaster oven bell rang and startled Darren out of his hazed thoughts.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Humans
A Well Timed Gift
What little savings David James had in his account was down to the last $100. He guessed that the groceries in his cart would total about $90. Desperation clouded his thoughts with each passing day. He had applied at 3 jobs personally earlier that morning and applied for 6 more online. Same as he had done a few times a week for the last 6 months. He had worked a long time at Haywood and Cook Business Services. Had they not laid him off, he would have celebrated his 15th year with the company. Now he was unemployed, near broke, and struggling to even keep food in the house. It was the same for most of his friends and family since the pandemic. 2020 had been the worst year of his life.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Families
Living for Ourselves by Giving of Ourselves... Love and Trust
If you can love, you should. If you feel you can trust, you should. Life is never about it being easy. Those who have it easy can never have enough because they're never truly fulfilled. I would wager anyone with obscene amounts of money rarely fully trust anyone. I'm sure there are exceptions. No group can be boxed up into nice, neat categories. Every thing on this planet has its outliers, its rebels.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Motivation
Dear Donald Trump... Your Legacy of Voter Fraud and Lies
Dear Leader, the Master of the Deal, the Maker of a Great America, and Messiah of Cult 45: I took an oath in 1989 when I volunteered for the U.S. Air Force. I take pride in my years of service. It was a pride that I associated with being a patriot and an American. I was proud to be an American. I was aware of our tainted past and how we became a nation wasn't something built on freedom, but the ideals of freedom were in place. We were working forward, moving all too slow, but forward nonetheless. Our history is filled with intolerable acts of genocide and discrimination, but our future was looking hopeful. Then you decided to run for president.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in The Swamp
The Power of Good Deeds
What does one consider a good deed? Must it be a grand gesture or huge donation? Are small acts of kindness enough? I know most people have heard the concept that if you share kindness with the world, kindness comes back to you on a greater scale. It is the idea that if we all do random acts of kindness for the sake of kindness alone, that it spreads and snowballs until it impacts the community. Everyone benefits and the world becomes a better place. I used to scoff at this. The idea that “pay it forward” had any measurable impact on a society was laughable. It took a string of life changes over a few years to open my eyes.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Humans
Covid-19 Should Unite Us
The new normal should evolve into a positive term. What we are experiencing because of the pandemic is temporary. This should be more apparent now that a vaccine seems to be soon on its way. Also, consider that each of us have our own "normal". So what does it really mean "new normal"? Social distancing and masks will not be our new lives. They are not normal. They are fleeting as far as the bigger picture goes.
By Tom Stasio5 years ago in Humans
