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Tongue of Fire

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Reignited

Reignited is a discussion space for stories of survival, strength, and starting again. It’s where we name the burn, honor the ashes, and celebrate the spark that remains. These posts dive into personal healing, reclaimed purpose, and the quiet power of choosing hope—especially after loss, trauma, or collapse. Whether you're rebuilding a life, a dream, or just your next good day, this is fuel for the fire within.

Debunking the Myths: How to Be Poor and Still a Baddie (part 2)

Debunking the Myths: How to Be Poor and Still a Baddie (part 2)

Debunking the Myths: How to Be Poor and Still a Baddie (part 2)

We’ve been fed lies about poverty—lazy, immoral, undeserving. These myths punch down and they prop up a system that flatters the middle class while keeping everyone divided. The truth? Most poor people work hard. And no amount of budgeting fixes a rigged game. If you're slipping or waking up to the scaffolding, you're not alone. Let’s unlearn the lies together.

Nov 103 min read

A child leans back joyfully on a swing in midair, hair flying behind her, surrounded by green trees and sunlight.

A child leans back joyfully on a swing in midair, hair flying behind her, surrounded by green trees and sunlight.

Rock the Boat

I’ve always rocked—literally. It’s how I think, focus, and feel calm. For years, people told me to stop. But I’ve learned you can rock the boat just by being yourself.

Neurodivergence

Nov 32 min read

Recipe card for Pantry Lentil Vegetable Soup. Ingredients include dry lentils, canned tomato soup, stewed tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, mixed vegetables, and spices like cumin, paprika, and pepper. Directions describe simmering everything in one pot for 30–40 minutes until thick and hearty. Caption: ‘Warm, filling, and made entirely from food pantry staples.

Recipe card for Pantry Lentil Vegetable Soup. Ingredients include dry lentils, canned tomato soup, stewed tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, mixed vegetables, and spices like cumin, paprika, and pepper. Directions describe simmering everything in one pot for 30–40 minutes until thick and hearty. Caption: ‘Warm, filling, and made entirely from food pantry staples.

Feeding Your Family When SNAP Disappears

When SNAP Disappears, millions of working families will feel it first at the dinner table. I’m one of them. I’m a mom, a teacher, and a pantry scavenger who’s learned to make soup out of onions and hope. No time to cry, I'm starting my survival guide right now. Here’s how I’m feeding my family, holding onto dignity, and proving that hope still has flavor.

Oct 283 min read

3D forest diagram titled Community Mindsets. The X-axis shows Gratitude versus Entitlement, and the Y-axis shows Empathy versus Judgement. Four trees illustrate the quadrants: A – Gratitude + Empathy, “We thrive together,” a healthy radiant tree. B – Gratitude + Judgement, “I’m blessed,” a strong but self-focused tree. C – Entitlement + Empathy, “We deserve this,” a smaller in-group tree. D – Entitlement + Judgement, “I’m better,” a dark, stunted tree. The image represents how gratitude and empathy sustain communities, while entitlement and judgement erode them.

3D forest diagram titled Community Mindsets. The X-axis shows Gratitude versus Entitlement, and the Y-axis shows Empathy versus Judgement. Four trees illustrate the quadrants: A – Gratitude + Empathy, “We thrive together,” a healthy radiant tree. B – Gratitude + Judgement, “I’m blessed,” a strong but self-focused tree. C – Entitlement + Empathy, “We deserve this,” a smaller in-group tree. D – Entitlement + Judgement, “I’m better,” a dark, stunted tree. The image represents how gratitude and empathy sustain communities, while entitlement and judgement erode them.

#We Can Thrive

Hard work matters, but it’s not the whole story. Some fields flood, some forests burn—and still we judge the ones left in shadow. #We Can Thrive challenges the myth of moral merit and asks: what if thriving was something we protected for everyone?

Oct 264 min read

Text on a beige background reads: “I tick on the tock. I’m myself.” The word tock is italicized with a small clock symbol inside the “o,” and “I’m myself.” is in orange italic font.

Text on a beige background reads: “I tick on the tock. I’m myself.” The word tock is italicized with a small clock symbol inside the “o,” and “I’m myself.” is in orange italic font.

Creative Weirdo? Let's Collab!

I’ve been creating all my life, but rarely with true collaboration. I tick on the tock—sometimes too much, sometimes not enough—and I’m done apologizing for it. I’m a Creative Weirdo, built for curiosity, connection, and alchemy. If you create for joy and meaning, maybe we’re part of the same tribe.

Oct 252 min read

Why Logic Doesn't Win Hearts — and What Might

Why Logic Doesn't Win Hearts — and What Might

Why Logic Doesn't Win Hearts — and What Might

We argue with logic, but our beliefs come from emotion. The Righteous Mind shows how six moral foundations—Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, Sanctity, and Liberty—shape what feels “right” to each of us. Take the Moral Compass Quiz to see which values guide you and how they compare across America’s moral landscape. Curiosity might just be the bridge we’ve been missing.

Oct 54 min read

Cover of Remembered by Dust - Told by Meridith Byrne with the image of a speck of stardust in human form, centered in a deep blue stained glass window.

Cover of Remembered by Dust - Told by Meridith Byrne with the image of a speck of stardust in human form, centered in a deep blue stained glass window.

Remembered by Dust - Preface

I set out to write my memoir, but it became something else—a midrash in verse, narrated by a speck of stardust. Remembered by Dust reclaims faith and story from those who weaponize them, weaving kindness, justice, science, and memory into one tapestry. This preface introduces my author’s note and Dust’s first letter, the beginning of a story that will unfold chapter by chapter.

Remembered by Dust

Oct 22 min read

Close-up of hands holding a smartphone with a search for local food banks, showing terms like “free food giveaway near me” and “food pantry Massachusetts list.

Close-up of hands holding a smartphone with a search for local food banks, showing terms like “free food giveaway near me” and “food pantry Massachusetts list.

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole: How to be Poor and Still a Baddie (part 1)

You didn’t plan to fall through the cracks—but here you are. This no-shame survival guide is for anyone sliding out of middle-class stability and into a system that says poverty is your fault. It’s not. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re just seeing the scaffolding now. Welcome to the Rabbit Class.

Sep 283 min read

Cornucopia spilling miniature homes, cars, and goods on a world map — symbol of abundance and enough for all.

Cornucopia spilling miniature homes, cars, and goods on a world map — symbol of abundance and enough for all.

It's Time to Say: Enough

“World Mostly Okay” doesn’t make headlines, but it’s the truth. Scarcity is a script designed to keep us scrambling. Let’s flip it. Let’s live like there’s enough, act like there’s enough, and preach the Word of Enough until fearmongers lose their grip.

Sep 85 min read

A woman with a serious expression holds up a smiling face mask beside her own face, symbolizing the hidden emotional cost of masking.

A woman with a serious expression holds up a smiling face mask beside her own face, symbolizing the hidden emotional cost of masking.

Too Good to be Believed: The Hidden Cost of High Masking

High-masking neurodivergence can make someone seem ‘too good to be believed’—meeting expectations on the surface while burning out underneath. The cost is real: exhaustion, recovery days, and long-term harm. Belief, early support, and fair systems can lift the mask so people can thrive on their own terms.

Neurodivergence

Aug 113 min read

Defining My Ws — and the Who might be YOU

In Defining My Ws, I name the people I’m creating for—neurodivergent thinkers, soul-tired rebuilders, and anyone brave enough to question the script. Byrne Alive is built on fire, truth, and the belief that full authenticity might just be the key to freedom.

Neurodivergence

Aug 23 min read

Cartoon image from South Park showing a muscular red devil sitting in bed beside a grinning Donald Trump. The devil looks unimpressed.

Cartoon image from South Park showing a muscular red devil sitting in bed beside a grinning Donald Trump. The devil looks unimpressed.

Relax, Guys: South Park's Season 27 Satiric Opener reveals Narrative Diffusion

Relax, Guys – South Park Reveals Narrative Diffusion in its wild Season 27 premiere, using satire, shock, and Satan to expose how mass gaslighting works. From Trump in bed with the devil to the tactics of audience asphyxiation, this episode doesn't hold back, inspiring me to do the same.

Jul 254 min read

A home workspace with two computer screens. One displays Etsy search results for “Alligator Alcatraz” merchandise; the other shows a news article about inhumane conditions at the same facility. Above the desk is a black-and-white photo of three young children, one kissing the other on the cheek.

A home workspace with two computer screens. One displays Etsy search results for “Alligator Alcatraz” merchandise; the other shows a news article about inhumane conditions at the same facility. Above the desk is a black-and-white photo of three young children, one kissing the other on the cheek.

Why I Left Etsy

I left Etsy because I won’t chase visibility in someone else’s machine or profit from a platform that turns human suffering into merch. My kids, even when they were little, watched my choices. They're still watching. And silence is complicity.

Smuggled Sparks Store

Jul 103 min read

💔 When the Water Rose: Tragedy, Truth, & Media Literacy

💔 When the Water Rose: Tragedy, Truth, & Media Literacy

💔 When the Water Rose: Tragedy, Truth, & Media Literacy

Over 100 lives were lost in the Texas flood—many of them children. As the waters recede, we're left with urgent questions: What caused this? Who’s responsible? And how do we separate truth from noise? This post explores the tragedy, the media's response, and why learning to verify information isn’t just smart—it’s compassionate.

Jul 85 min read

A woman with gray hair and glasses screaming into the void.

A woman with gray hair and glasses screaming into the void.

Yawp of the Good Enough

Today was one of those “small” days that actually took everything. I made appointments, taught classes, advocated for my health, and pushed through the weight of ADHD, trauma, and survival mode. I'm not asking for anything. I just need to yawp my yawp. A raw, unapologetic shout from someone choosing to be real. Because we’re not broken—we’re overburdened. And maybe you are too. You’re not alone. Yawp on.

Neurodivergence

Jun 255 min read

Photograph of poet Charles Bukowski wearing sunglasses and seated in a car. Known for his gritty, unapologetic writing style, Bukowski often explored themes of survival, isolation, and unfiltered truth.

Photograph of poet Charles Bukowski wearing sunglasses and seated in a car. Known for his gritty, unapologetic writing style, Bukowski often explored themes of survival, isolation, and unfiltered truth.

Don't Try: What Teaching Bukowski is Teaching Me

Teaching high school poetry brought me back to Charles Bukowski. Thirty years ago, saw him as edgy but cynical. Now, I see something else: a brutal kind of honesty about survival, pain, and what it means to live honestly.

Jun 93 min read

Late-Diagnosis ADHD Isn’t an Excuse. It’s an Evolution.

Late-Diagnosis ADHD Isn’t an Excuse. It’s an Evolution.

Late-Diagnosis ADHD Isn’t an Excuse. It’s an Evolution.

For those of us with late-diagnosed ADHD or other neurodivergent identities, it’s easy to feel like we have something to prove. People...

Neurodivergence

Apr 232 min read

Mr. Ring-A-Ding, a cartoon form of Lux from Doctor Who Season 14, symbolizes the limited version of ourselves before transformation.

Mr. Ring-A-Ding, a cartoon form of Lux from Doctor Who Season 14, symbolizes the limited version of ourselves before transformation.

I Think I’m Lux (And Maybe You Are Too): A Doctor Who Epiphany, a Cartoon Shell, and the Unfolding of Something Bigger

Watching Doctor Who Season 14, I saw myself in Lux—a being of light trapped in cartoon form, mistaken for dangerous because he didn’t fit the mold. That’s how it feels to unmask and grow past the version of yourself the world accepts. This post is for anyone ready to stop performing and start remembering who they really are. Because maybe you’re not too much. Maybe you’re just becoming.

Apr 222 min read

Lazy is a Lie: A Gentle Clarification for Neurotypicals

Lazy is a Lie: A Gentle Clarification for Neurotypicals

Lazy is a Lie: A Gentle Clarification for Neurotypicals

Ever hear someone describe a student, coworker, or even your own child as "lazy"? You know the scenario: eyes rolling, deep sigh,...

Neurodivergence

Apr 212 min read

Kathy Bates as Madeline Matlock in the 2025 reboot of Matlock, seated confidently in a courtroom with a sly smile, wearing a sharp suit that nods to the original show's style.

Kathy Bates as Madeline Matlock in the 2025 reboot of Matlock, seated confidently in a courtroom with a sly smile, wearing a sharp suit that nods to the original show's style.

Matlock (2025 Remix): Old Charm, New Fire

In this sharp and surprisingly subversive reboot, Kathy Bates breathes new life into Matlock—not by remaking the past, but by outwitting it. With sly commentary on the justice system, legacy media, and ageism, the 2025 series is part legal drama, part cultural takedown, and wholly worth your time. Read on to find out why the reboot doesn't just work—it wins.

Apr 143 min read

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