The Brighter the Picture

  • The ABC’s of being a POS: Intro

    The ABC’s of being a POS: Intro

    (Edited 08/09/2024)

    Note: This upcoming series is for entertainment and educational purposes only. If you wish to learn more about mental health, abusive behaviors, and support, please talk to your primary physician’s office, or a licensed professional.

    For emergencies, please call 911, or call 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

    Life is full of a healthy balance of people that deserve hugs or suplexes.

    Sometimes both.

    There’s a long list of examples of these people in both the past and present, public or private figures, and all types of relationships.

    No matter what, the world has its shares of people that deserve attention as much as the others need to be starved from it.

    This is dedicated to the second half.  

    By now you’ve assumed that the POS in the title does NOT mean “point of sale.” It means the other thing.

    The one that made you think of a person or people who could understand physical actions more than a sentence about their behavior.

    And even though one word or phrase will sometimes be used for each letter, they are not limited to them.

    Consider each one a gateway into others that, like the ones chosen here, are tied to each other, and will be mentioned and even repeated within most of them.  

    So, if you or someone you know is a POS, and you’re looking for how to increase your villain potential, you’ve come to the wrong place.

    After all, what better way to talk about the tricks and tips in ways that match your actions towards your targets/marks?

    No matter what, remember this quote as this journey begins:

    “If it hurts you, it’s about you.”

    -Kingston Priest

    P.S. – It is understood that there are those with undiagnosed or misdiagnosed mental conditions which will have similar behaviors mentioned here. This is in no way meant to offend them, or their related parties. This project is dedicated to those who choose to behave certain ways that deserve to be spoken about.

    First: Animosity

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  • Year-End Semi-Review

    Of all the things I can still speak on that left me bitter, disappointed, and even heartbroken, this year was not without its joys.

    For every promising or deep connection lost, new ones came through that reminded me better opportunities are ahead.

    For every declaration of ignorance against human rights, there were those ready to defend and expose those who chose hypocrisy.

    For every attempt to speak outside my name or character, there were careful and bold defenses made to state I was the wrong one.

    For every planned trip that lost its passion, the ones achieved still bring smiles at the memories tied to them.

    And, vague as this appears, this is just a short list of the good that came out the bad. Sure, it’s likely no different from any other year. But I know how much of these helped clear out even more trauma bonds that I thought were either gone or arguably managed better.

    I know the weight of each of the things that needed clearing. Some of which I’ll describe better once I find the right words for it. But the self-validation combined with encouragement from others is proof that I’m being rewarded for staying on the right path.

    I can admit, and will advise that it’s not easy. Even after everything I’ve grown through, some things can cause triggers tied to things that require more emotional care and grace.

    And despite the threats of turbulence, the growing can be fun and educational all at once. All we need to do is develop, and even remember those glimmers that bring us back to say how proud we should be of ourselves.

    Not just for choosing ourselves over any selfish demands, but to making it this far in a world that has given many others reasons to consider, or succeed in leaving it before the blessings arrive.

    So here’s to more hope and glimmers. More laughs and happy tears. More achievements and celebrations. More victories and reparations.

    Most of all, more of us giving loved ones proof of life. Especially the loved one in the mirror.

    Kingston Priest

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  • Vaya con dios

    (Content: Death of a loved one)

    Last month, a longtime friend of our family was called home.

    It feels like it’s too personal of a thing to talk about on here, but when has that stopped me before?

    But a personal loss is something I haven’t spoken about on here. In a way, I figured it was as inevitable as death is. And as grim or insensitive as that sounds, I’ll consider this post a way to process my feelings about our loss a bit more.

    This friend wore many hats through many generations that were related to her, or knew her close enough to be extended family. Even as I write this, I remember how vast of a turnout there was, and how it even dissolved tension between a few I was aware of.

    That last part is something I have been familiar with in other friends who have passed, where there was a call to let go of old criticisms and disagreements. In one case, it was for the person who passed.

    Here, it was not. She had no enemies. And if she did, keep us away from them, and them from us.

    Of all the memories I have with her, the heaviest one will be the last time we met. Before that, it was often in the name of assisting others if not herself. Sometimes there was frustration shared between us, but it would be resolved fast.

    Not just because I had to check my anxiety, and maybe even my warped ego at times, but also understand that we were of different worlds that inspired a brief back-and-forth when they happened, and even why.

    But it’s the laughter, the serenity, the genuine and mutual well-wishes that overshadow all of that.

    Not everyone who passes may have that luxury from those who survive them, and that’s expected based on how someone may have lived. She lived a life that nearly filled most spaces that honored her on the day we gathered.

    And it wasn’t just to say goodbye. It was to say “thank you.”

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  • Aria of Sorrow: Thoughts on Limerence

    Limerence is a word I have become familiar with, lately.

    It’s a state of mind that involves having intense feelings for a person that may otherwise be avoiding or selective with returned affection. From that, it can even be associated with the more popular term, infatuation.

    It’s a creature of chaos. It can take many different shapes partly because of who the object of affection is. The feelings for them can also vary in length, from weeks to years.

    It all depends on the person and how or when they realize that they can see beyond this spell.

    Limerence is not without its ties to experiences of avoidant people in one’s past, because I have seen it being relative to trauma bonding, too.

    And it’s hard to break out of when even subtle words of returned affection can feel like an overdue warm hug. Comfort like that makes it easier to ignore that their actions and words may be as empty as their soul.

    No matter what it is labeled, you are better for breaking free of it when it is realized.

    The healthy options of moving through it are yours to choose. Therapy always matters, along with physical and emotional habit changes tied to that unhealthy love interest.

    The most important thing to remember is to not hurt yourself over waking up even years later to this attachment style. Sometimes, that’s what it takes to help look back and see what no longer suits your present and future.

    Perhaps the same can be said of all traumas.

    – Kingston Priest

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  • We Gon’ Make It: Evidence of Hope

    I get it. It’s a lot.

    It has been for months, now.

    24-Hour news cycles that are puppeted by submission or other means, and other trusted sources in different industries that also either complied in advance, or eventually bent the knee.

    And the best part about all of that? It has pushed the people who still have their hearts intact.  They learned that there are ways around the systems that has been brewing this kind of environment for decades.

    Could that be the reason why nothing was ever truly perfect for any of us?

    Could this have been prevented countless times before even 15 years ago to this day?

    Did they really expect the world to follow suit and ignore history where these exact kind of moments existed?

    At least the last question is easier to answer. And that’s even before thinking of the evidence behind that answer being “yes,” and proving them wrong.

    Joy, courage, hope, and perseverance is still resistance.

    From the youth who came together and rebuilt a nation through fire and order, to an entire country who shut down in protest as aid to others was threatened.

    Rows of salt trucks, dance parties streaming in front of detainment centers, walkouts as criminals demand respect, worldwide “music festivals,” and even the turncoating of those that thought they wanted this, until they received more than what they voted for.

    It’s a small sample of reasons why there is calm that it’s coming to an end for them.

    Frustration of their actions still does exist, and it is allowed to.

    Some of us are able to shut it down easier than others. Those many who are reminded of people close to them who resemble the ones in the High Castle.

    But as long as you don’t let them feed off your despair, as long as you remember that you are building the life you have wanted for yourselves and others, that frustration is nothing compared to the rage they are feeling.

    Because they know their time is over, and yours is just beginning.

    “Straighten your back, and raise your head. Your enemies are watching.”  – The K-2

    Kingston Priest

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  • The Good Friend: A Word About Empathy

    Originally written (9/11/2025)

    I’d like to talk about a friend of mine named Empathy (they/them).

    Empathy is immortal.

    They have been in the hearts and minds of people throughout history. Without them being around, certain freedoms would not exist.

    The freedom to choose, to marry who you want, the freedom to learn and educate ourselves and others about the horrors of our nation’s past.

    Due to the changes within social and federal climates, Empathy has been working double shifts for the last few years. They work in every industry you can think of, while working the stresses of being unemployed and/or unhoused.

    Within all of that, they’ve also been the target of people who refuse to acknowledge Empathy’s existence.

    Not just in general, but in themselves. Claims of them being weak or a new age concept are felt and rightfully criticized by those who feel the opposite for our friend.

    So when something bad happens to those that discredit Empathy’s importance, we, the friends of them, have options.

    We can talk about or show receipts of them dismissing Empathy’s right to live, the same way their enemies have done about us.

    We can declare how their enemies meant so little to us that we’re indifferent about the inevitable, even karmic events that those people face.

    Some of us will take any of those announcements to the extreme. And that’s okay.

    Because we live in a world that was built to make people believe they’ve won in life by cutting Empathy off. While the rest of us feel differently, and are proof that Empathy will always have a plate at every function they show up at.

    So be nice to our friend. Your friend, even.

    They will survive after us, but we can take comfort knowing that our declaration of their existence will be alongside them.

    – Kingston Priest

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  • Changing Lanes: Knowing Where You Belong and Staying There

    Anyone who wants to keep you in the left lane because they see your fastlane potential knows they’ll be left behind once you switch it up.

    The longer you act on the beliefs that you deserve a better life because of your healing,  the harder those who do not share your beliefs will come for you.

    They will do and say anything to keep you close and in control. They’ll demand you “stay in your lane,” not only when you make them uncomfortable, but stop you from conspiring with your future self who has long since left them in the dust.

    That’s your reoccurring cue that you are doing the right things, and better people and places will replace them.

    Deep inside, they know that. Even if and when some will move on and act like your absence doesn’t affect them, some will remind you in their ways that it does.

    That’s their fault and their fight for funbling you. They will hate you because you did the right thing for YOU, not for them.

    So as you break the speed limit in your overall growth, remind yourself to slow down only when you need to, and not in hopes that they catch up to apologize and celebrate your wins.

    You never needed them to gas you up. Besides, the chances of backhanded statements in them will be like water in gasoline, and we know how that treats actual vehicles. 

    Don’t let them do that to you.

    Race on.

    Kingston Priest

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  • The Apprentice: How a Narcissist Can Teach Their Own

    Narcissists by themselves can be a volatile and unpredictable group. With or without suppoeters to aid their habits, they know enough about their targets to pick at the smallest details of their lives to add up to maximum control over them.

    There are many statements from experts about how these people are not born but created. How they were either taught or taught themselves to be emotionally parasitic, chaotic, and especially immature.

    And the longer they live that life by tormenting themselves while hurling any insecurities on innocent people, there is enough media to gas them up into thinking that the narcissistic path is the way to be in life.

    Even with consequences sometimes falling on the deserved few, there will always be those that live long enough to make it seem like life is better this way. Moreso if one can do it under the public or private radar.

    Every form of entertainment and politics has those select few that are constantly in view parading and endorsing cruelty. Even if the loyal citizens applauding their actions never meet these public figures, they will go as far as worshiping them as if they were “gods” among “men.”

    You still have to watch out for the sneaky ones, though. The ones that may openly be disgusted at the person’s left hand while taking notes on how the right one stays dirty.

    Of course, that info would add onto notes that they have that are based on the people they used to or still have control of in some way. And they often tell on themselves whenever anyone, mostly their targets, explain why they’re disgusted about that false idol.

    These are the kind of people that can walk into any place and declare even in the smallest way that they are on the right side of history. Anything to deflect the possibility that they are no better if not worse than the public figure that does not have a popular vote in any regard.

    It can almost be seen as the student betraying the master. One that didn’t know the student even existed.

    But those who know who that student really is behind closed doors are often patient enough to see both the weird idol and their followers go out in an inglorious blaze.

    Neither of them will be missed, forgiven, or be in a place of control ever again. But if they are to be thanked for anything, it’s to teach us how to make sure the future leaves them behind while we move forward.

    Kingston Priest

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  • Hello

    How would you describe yourself to someone?

    “An adult that learned how to comfort the sadness of the inner child, and soothe the rage felt in-between us.”

    This was inspired by an event I was at a few years ago, where the host asked the audience to write a pitch trailer about ourselves. It took a bit, but not only did I get it, but later that day I was able to share it with him, and he gave me a huge hug from it. I think of it every time the statement comes to mind, even if the words change up here and there.

    I’m sure I can think of stuff that’s more fun to speak on, but this is where my head is at for the moment 🙂

    Plus with the new phone that runs a lot better, this is an easy way to get back to posting more frequently, again. Because trust me there is a lot to say!

    Kingston Priest

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  • Back to School: A Deeper Understanding of My Craft

    As many people would say, “life be lifing.”
    There is a long list of reasons for the unplanned hiatus. One of them being that I started taking a new class about rhetoric and persuasive writing.

    Now, any long or short-time followers may wonder what I’m doing in a class for that, years after I started this page and improved my talents through it?

    One reason is that I was already taking classes related to subjects talked about on here before. Recent events involving universities had me explore, or reexplore ones I couldn’t afford many years ago.

    The class has given me a deeper look into the styles of speech and article writing that has me looking at what I’ve written before, realizing that I had been using some of them before knowing their labels.

    It reminds me a lot of what’s been implied and confirmed in other fields of work; that it’s one thing to know what you’re doing, but it’s another to define it on a textbook level so you can project confidence in your work.

    Another reason I took the class was to strengthen my resume.

    The older I get, the more I want to show that I’m more than just the person with a long-running day job that’s not simply asking for an actual career. Wanting better requires being better, and I have chosen to show it again with continued education.

    I’m not without awareness that my experiences may not fast track me into a better position, but I would be a fool to not try. Chances are I could get into something new before I finish this class. Time, combined with effort on my end, will tell.

    All of this just to let you know that I am still alive, writing, creating, and reminding myself that I do have time to check in on here. Not just with you, but with myself. Because there is much more to write about on personal and global topics. Parts of it are drafted or noted in a shorthanded way.

    I’ll be sure to give this page the full versions once they are ready.

    – Kingston Priest

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  • Future Shock: Writing to My Past Self, Again.

    When I saw this, I couldn’t help but think of the first entries I made that started this page back in 2022.

    It was me addressing myself 10 years prior to that point. A nine-part series that became years worth of sharing, revealing, and advising, with a few warnings woven into all of it.

    Though I did not answer this specific post because I knew I’d be taking advantage of the caption inviting more than two words, I’m sure I could shorthand it as if I had only a couple of seconds.

    So here it goes:

    “39 is a long way to go for you, but that’s when your real education begins. It’ll validate what you always knew in your spirit, and guide you to a future that compliments the art that you used to not only understand and escape reality, but stay in it. I’m proof that you did.”

    The first couple of words were only a piece of what I drafted before deciding to make it a post. Maybe I’ll go back to the page and copy that whole thing, after all.

    But I like it here, too.

    Kingston Priest