You know what they say about people who choose to become therapists?  CRAZY. 

C R A Z Y.  I can’t say that I disagree.  However, there is a disclaimer.  I was not CRAZY until today.  Today I became crazy.  Why you ask?  Because I was trying to come up with my “Top Ten Favorite Posts for 2009”.

I’ve been tossing and turning about this the last couple of nights.  Practically ruined my Christmas with my family it did.  I started dreaming about all the posts…tossed and turned the last couple of nights if the truth be told.  Mumbling and talking in my sleep…what to do, which one to pick, so many posts and so little time.

So, I narrowed down all the posts I loved to a few hundred, I swear I love every single one of them so much, tossed them in a hat and pulled out the following:

Knightwriter's Running Away From the White Light.  Knightwriter is a brilliant writer, reminding me of the style of the masterful genius, Pat Conroy, a literary hero for both of us.  He makes family dysfunction look inviting and funny.  It takes a rare and bright mind to accomplish that.

m.a.h.:  My Addiction:  Chardonnay vs. Breasts 

m.a.h. and I became fast friends the last year or so.  She is a diverse writer, ridiculously talented and we don't see enough of her.  I love her honesty, sense of humor and masterful way with words.  I had the most fortunate advantage of meeting her when she felt sorry for my addiction to American Idol and had some connections and got us tickets to the finale.  She is now stuck with me as a life long friend and avid fan.

Roger Fallihee:  I'm Not An Alcoholic:  Alcoholics Go to Meetings

Roger has an ability to poke fun at anything, I mean anything.  His posts are always a sure fire guarantee to have a good out loud laugh and see the humor in almost everything.  In this piece, he takes his wit and humor and brings in some major vulnerability as he tells us about his struggle with alcohol.  A must read. 

irritated_mom:  Failure

Irritated is one smart, talented woman...one of those women that other women envy but despite themselves, love her to pieces.  She can do it all. Mother to five, cook extraordinaire, passionate truth teller, especially when it comes to people like Michele Bernard.  Funny as all get out, but the Failure piece, this is what blows me away when it comes to irritated. You're all ready to be ROTFL and she knocks you off your socks with a dark and provocative piece that invites us into the most cavernous places of her heart.

Monsieur Chariot:  Running Into Faye

Monsieur Chariot is someone who doesn't grace the OS pages very often, but when he does, it is a treat for the day.  Read his words carefully because it is clear that he has painstakingly and carefully chosen each word, each sentence with the greatest of care.  He has brought back the lost art of graciousness and civility, a rare and well crafted literary gift.   

neilpaul:  In The Spirit of Christmas Giving

neilpaul has been quite prolific as of late and I'm struggling to keep up with his posts.  But when I do, I'm well rewarded for the time invested.  His is a strong masculine voice that talks about childhood, male friendships, and relationships between men and women.   And despite a voice that sometimes tries to come off as bravado, his vulnerability and heart felt emotions come shining through, melting the heart.

Sandra Stephens:  

Sandra is another diverse and varied writer.  She'll seduce you into a tale of romance and passion, wrapping you around her fingers as you read, only to be met with some dark and vampirish conclusion, leaving you searching for your childhood blankie.  She also writes from the heart and is generous enough to share her stories of personal struggle and triumph. 

Spirit Man SF:  The Death of Rob and Bob:  A Sacred Love Story

I've never met Spirit Man, but I love him and I love his writing.  This is a man who has a passion for the underdog and his posts reflect this, especially for the uninsured and disenfranchised.  This story of the loss of his beloved partner seared this heart of mine.  It is an incredible tribute to his lover and best friend, and an indictment to a culture that has gone mad with irrational beliefs and fear.  It's hard to believe that even Carrie Prejean wouldn't be moved and transformed by this story. 

Sheldon the Wonderhorse:  Please Stop Doing Your Christopher Walken Impersonation 

Humor is one of the more therapeutic techniques we can use to ward off the blues.  Sheldon is a genius when it comes to the use of humor and puts Jerry Seinfeld to shame.  The man can take nothingness and turn it into laugh out loud laughter everything.  He always leaves me shaking my head and asking myself, "How does he come up with this stuff???" 

Z Bitch:  Sorry Father!  You Have a Gay Son! 

I've never met Z Bitch and I love him too.  His writing is reminiscent of the character  Agador played by Hank Azaria in Birdcage.  He takes us all to the edge, gently tickling us along the way.  He is playful, full of life, and deliciously outrageous.  And just when you think you know exactly what to expect, he goes and writes something like this post, a story about his father and himself. Keep the Kleenex handy.

the squirrel: If Anyone Disappoints Her It Should Be Me

The squirrel (and I may lose some friends here, but I'm gonna say it anyway), the squirrel is my favorite writer on OS.  And that's saying a lot because there are so many of my favorite writers on OS.  I think he's a rare and gifted writer.  He's driven some people crazy with his avatar (silly people!) and back in the day, before he became a responsible father, his lack of punctuation and capitalization drove some nuts (no pun intended). It's never mattered to me.  His posts make me cry, laugh, nod my head, make me hungry, and always leave me wanting more.   His posts of the last six months have been incredibly endearing as his life changed dramatically...he got married and had a child.  It's always a privilege and a treat to read his words.  He is an enormous talent and I won't be satisfied until I see him published and getting paid for that which he richly deserves.

Quick honorable mentions to Lea Lane's, The Inner Journey I Had To Take:  Two Weeks Alone on a Cliff, Steve Blevin's courageous and heart rendering, A World No Less Sublime, and Frank Indiana's chronicles of his marriage and his wife's illness, a transformative and profound piece of work, be sure to read all 26 chapters of So It Was Cancer.  

And now I'm feeling a bit sick to my stomach because of all the other writers I love so much and their posts that are flying through my mind and I realize I could easily write a book about my OS favorites.

A fine place this OS turned out to be.  Very fine indeed.

*Not only am I crazy, apparently I'm lousy at math.