ABOUT ROB
I made my big debut on October 5th, 1986. I was raised in New Jersey, by my compassionate mother and hardworking father….and my third parent, my Super Nintendo. Needless to say, I was a very awkward and odd child. I found solace collecting dandelions in the outfield during my little league games. I attended my Saturday morning weekly support group religiously, making sure I never missed an episode of the ‘Power Rangers’. I would disappear on my bike for hours, exploring marshlands and forests, catching critters of all shapes and sizes, worrying my mother.
It wasn’t until middle school where my escapism methods started to lose their rejuvenating powers. I developed horrible acne and had barbed wire for braces, literally preventing me from speaking. I struggled socializing with my classmates. I was bullied. I closed up. My anxiety became unbearable. It was here that I developed my ‘go with the flow’ and ‘just survive’ mentality.
In high school, I started having panic attacks, daily. Acknowledging I was gay also added some glittery kindlewood to the fire of my excessive worry. I joined the cross country and track teams and learned that running and endorphins were a balm and a distraction.
Along with my peers, I continued to follow the middle class trajectory: go to college, get a job. I attended Fordham University and completed my B.S in Psychology with a minor in Environmental Studies. Like most college students, I thought I knew who I was, had little to no money, kept my anxiety a secret, and was a master at flirting with emotionally unavailable individuals. But, gosh darnit, I got my degree, and still had no clue what I wanted to do.
I took an enormous leap of faith and flew out to Portland, Oregon to continue my education in the biological sciences at Portland State. Upon arrival, I immediately realized a hard truth: all the baggage, thought patterns, and outlooks on life had come right along with me.
I started counseling and therapy.
Over the years therapy became a space where I could just be me. It was a space where I could own up to my mistakes without any judgement; a space where I was gently challenged. However, most importantly, I started to realize that there isn’t necessarily an all-encompassing ‘playbook’ that we all must follow to lead a fulfilling life.
My life is, well, just that. My life. I am responsible for me. With this new level of awareness and excitement, I want to share with others that life is truly a gift. I want to share with others what we aren’t necessarily ‘taught’. I want to share with others how to show up for yourself.
Where did I start? By acknowledging my humanness. We don’t need to be rejected for it.
Ask yourself, right here, right now, “What do I get to not feel, not face, and not experience, by staying stuck here?”
Tag along on this journey with me.