I Don't Belong Here Part 1

So, here goes. My first post on the "Gather the Outcasts" Blog. I suppose I should introduce myself, even though most everyone who will be reading this probably already knows me, lol. My name is Phil. I am a husband to an amazing woman, Felicia, who will be the other contributor to this Blog. I'm a dad. We have a lot of kids and we like it that way. It is my goal to be the best man of God, husband, and father I can be. I fail more often than not but so far God has picked me up, dusted me off, and kept me going. I believe that every day is an opportunity to grow and become better than we were the day before.

If you've come here looking for an experts guide to living your best life, you have come to the wrong place for a couple of reasons. First, I'm no expert. I have a lot of experiences and I'm willing to share what I have learned from my failures but I don't claim to be an expert. Second, Gather the Outcasts is not about living your best life. If you want that kind of blog go find some half famous social media influencer and follow them. They can give you all the typical platitudes about living your best life and becoming one with nature or whatever. Here? Here we just want to be real. Sometimes things don't feel like the best life and we believe that it's all part of our journey on earth. We don't shy away from what's hard or tough around these parts.

I guess that's why I titled this post "I Don't Belong Here". The idea of writing something - anything - that would truly help somebody is a little terrifying. There are a lot of what if's that tend to run through my head. What if i say something that ends up making things worse for someone? What if someone actually ends up physically hurt from following my advice? That's a lot of pressure to make sure I get this stuff right and I can't just throw ideas out there without any consideration of what kind of impact they could have. One of the lessons I have learned over the years is how much power words really do carry when they get released in writing. Even more so when they are spoken. 

So, it's true and I admit it, I don't belong here. Yet, here I am. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I am meant to do this. To help as many people as I possibly can by sharing the life lessons I have learned. You see, I'm awfully hard headed (just ask that beautiful wife of mine, lol) and most of what I have learned has been taught to me the hard way. I had to live through some dirt and grime and mess. If sharing these lessons helps just one person get out of their own dirt, grime, or mess then it's all worth it. 

You see, I'm an outcast. I don't belong. And if you feel the same way then maybe, just maybe, we can create a space where we can all be broken together. Where those of us that the world doesn't quite know what to do with, can gather and break bread as a family of misfits. 

The place is here.

The time is now.

Gather the Outcasts!