When my mind and body revealed to me at age 36 that I had been sexually abused by a family member for a period of years during my childhood, my life and all I’d ever known about myself came painfully undone. Finding Jonathan is a blog sharing my personal journey in the process of simultaneously losing and finding myself all at once.
I am Jonathan Bristow: a writer, a hopeless dreamer, a bleeding heart empath, LGBTQIA+ and BLM ally, and detoxing, recovering pastor. As a husband, a father, creative entrepreneur (Creator and Director of Ascent Radio* - an independent, online radio station), former bartender, former ESL para-educator, former college admissions counselor, and former satellite television installer and Radio Shack employee (how’s that for complicated?), I write on anything and everything along the way in the journey of finding myself: From stories of my own journey in mental health and trauma recovery, to issues of bodily freedom and sexual identity, to the beauty, joys, hilarity and challenges of parenting and marriage, to music and culture, to important social issues and social change, to wrestling with matters of faith and spirituality and deconstruction… as well as anything else that happens to be taking up residence in my busy heart and mind.
As the foremost expert on myself (and pretty much nothing else), I write because I believe there is healing that happens when we share our stories, our truth. I also believe there is a magic that happens when we share our truth and our stories with one-another. Our stories bind us together, in the oneness of our humanity. They mysteriously draw us into the warmth and relief and safety and beauty and sense of belonging that comes from knowing and being known. And so, I share here because, firstly I want and need and deserve to for myself, and second, with the awareness that perhaps something in my journey could provide the spark or hope or laugh or cry you or someone you love needs in their own journey.
A huge thanks to any and all of you who join me in the journey here. Even if we’ve not had the pleasure of meeting yet, know you are loved and cared for and important and appreciated.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website. Never miss an update.
—————
*Ascent Radio is: Music that Moves Us. Onward and Upward. Music for a Better World. To listen along, download our free app, available for both Apple and Android, our Alexa skill, or stream via our website: www.ascent.fm! We hope you’ll join the climb with us!
—————
All views expressed on the Finding Jonathan blog are my own. I’m a free agent, not tethered to, speaking for or representing any organization. Any post shares on this page are people and/or ideas I find beautiful, fascinating, meaningful and important in helping me tell my story, express my feelings or that I believe will help inspire hope and change toward a better world.
*** My one rule: Be kind. *** It’s simple. But for some reason surprisingly hard in our time and social climate. (Believe it or not) we can kindly disagree. If you disagree with me or any commenter, that’s all well and good (to be expected.) But this is first and foremost a SAFE space, a safe and inclusive table to gather around to talk about some really deep and potentially sensitive and triggering matters. And so I have a ZERO tolerance policy toward disparaging, hateful, racist, sexist, violent, threatening, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic or otherwise offensive comments or remarks. You will be shown the door. Sorry not sorry! My house, my rule.
Join the crew
Be part of a community of people who share your interests.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
