Hi, my name is...

Picture the scene. A dimly lit room containing about a dozen people, all sitting in a circle on dirty, plastic chairs. Some shuffle nervously. Others are sipping their cheap, lukewarm coffee. It tastes bad, but it’s always free at gatherings like this. Suddenly, the person in charge speaks up.

“Right, who would like to start tonight? Any newcomers?”

No one ever wants to start. Everyone shifts their gaze. Some stare at the floor. Others, behind them as if they were called. I decide, it’s now or never. I stand up. I speak.

“Hi, my name is Warren and I’m a failed blogger”

“Hi Warren” everyone resonates simultaneously.

“It’s been almost eight months since my last posting.”

A few reel in shock at this statement. Others, the ones that are worse off than I, consider me but a novice. I can see it in their eyes. It takes me a while to recompose myself. Then I continue.

“I… I don’t know what happened. Initially, I thought I would blog every day. At first I did. It was daily. Then the days turned into weeks. The weeks into months. Now, I hardly know how to type anymore.”

At this point, I have nothing further to say. I sit back down in my seat, fearful that continuing any further would just make me seem all the more pathetic.

The person in charge speaks again. This time, to me directly.

“The damage you have done to yourself is great, but not irreversible my son. You have taken the first step by admitting your faults and by attending this meeting. Your cry for assistance will not go unheard. Here, take this as a constant reminder of your past, but also as motivation for your future.”

He hands me a silver token. On the front, a creature somewhat resembling a squirrel is engraved, sporting a large thumbs up with the word “Hope” underneath. I flip the coin over. On the reverse is written three words: “Lorem Ipsum Dumbass.” Latin was never my strong point, but even I could tell that this was clearly indicative of my faulty past. Motivation and reminder. All in one convenient package. I put the coin in my shirt pocket close to my heart. This time, I will not fail.