Monday, March 27th

Monday, March 20th

As the MiserBunch stood outside the Union Bar and Grill monday night, a bitter wind whipped through them. Perhaps it was revenge, for more than once that night a misery had been written in regards to the cruelness of the wind. Perhaps there were other cosmic forces at work. We can't know these things. All we know is that the miseries were all but gone. The wind had taken the delicate napkin confessions and strewn them throughout the town. All that remains are these two lonely miseries. Next week, they will be guarded more carefully.


Also...
Last week we received our first misery in the mail... Keep 'em coming.

Monday, March 13th

Monday, March 6th

Technical Difficulties

Sorry about this...my internet connection is shoddy at best right now. I could barely get this post up, let alone upload images. As soon as I can get to a place with wireless, I'll have the new miseries up. Check back soon. I promise to post them by the end of the day.

I am miserable because my "dsl" is working like a modem from the mid-90's.

Misery Manifesto

En Francais, misere. Espanol, miseria. Auf Deutsch, elend. Misery is a worldwide phenomenon. It pervades all socio-economic classes, ethnic backgrounds, health statuses, and religious proclivities. It lives in Boise and in Bangladesh. Founded on the principal of "thinking globally, acting locally", we, the MiserBunch, get together every Monday at our favorite corner table at the perpetually unpopulated Union Bar to let the misery flow. It's a mixture of group therapy and gossip corner, emotional archaeology and art party. In any case it's our party. And we can cry if we want to. Usually we don't, but we could goddammit! It is our one moment in the week when we don’t have to be polite, productive, or prudent. No one has to "take care" or "have a nice day"; nobody has to have her finger on the button, be on the ball, or hit the nail on the head. It's a time for friends, lovers, ex-lovers, friends of friends, casual acquaintances, and enemies to get together, get down, and be as painfully real as one can be in mixed company. The mood is as different as we are each Monday, but one thing is always true: if at any point in the evening a miserable moment arises, we know what to do-grab a napkin, a piece of receipt tape, or a scrap of notebook and lay that trouble down in words. The next part is our version of bingo. The MiserMan or MiserWoman shouts out, "misery!" and the conversation stops long enough to cradle that person's pain with our undivided attention. Sometimes the "miseries" provoke empathetic stories or jokes; sometimes we simply receive them and let fall away. In any case, the philosophy is that, once exposed, all things begin to shift. Our hope is that by allowing ourselves to be truly, painfully miserable, we will, in fact, increase our happiness factor. The belief is that happiness is not a solo project and by working together, we better the lives of our friends and enemies and everyone in between, starting here at the Union, and then concentrically across the planet. We invite you to join our project by sending us your own miseries or simply by holding the space for our own when you view our blog. Keep in mind that all miseries are created equal, so "the chain came off my bike" is just as valid as "my best friend committed suicide". Just write "I am miserable because..." and then whatever ails you. For our heads, our hearts, our spirits and the power of all of us.

In misery and magnificence,
The MiserBunch

Miseries Past