Help Me Please

I have joined a team with The Walk for Mental Health Awareness Houston. If I reach my goal of $500 I promise to walk the entire 3k distance, however long it takes me. I am trying to raise money to raise awareness for those who live with Mental Issues.
For the lack of a better term I am using “Mental Issue,” M.I. for short, as a blanket term to describe what we have and deal with on a daily basis. I want to use “Issue” because I don’t want to call it an “Illness.”
Illness, to me anyway, implies that it can be cured, it’s something that you caught and didn’t have before. It’s a part of us, it’s in our DNA, and it’s something we didn’t choose to have but something we live with on a daily basis.
When our M.I. kicks in it’s called “An Episode.” An Episode of what? Are we a sitcom or drama that people sit back and watch? While it may certainly feel this way for non M.I.s, for those of us going through said “episode” it feels more like a storm. Comes on with little to no warning. A lot of huffing and puffing, with loud crashes of thunder. For this reason I will refer to them as Storms and not “Episodes.”
By talking we can begin healing and understanding on both sides. Ask questions and listen to the answers, don’t judge, don’t speak, just listen.
Here you can see that you are not alone, there are others who can truly relate to what you are going through.
You do not have to live in Houston to donate. If you or someone you know has a mental issue please help with whatever you can.  Thank you for helping me support this worthy cause.

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Discrimination

I don’t mind being profiled because of how I look.  I’m a big scary guy, I get profiled all the time and have been all my life. I’m used to it and it still amazes me the reaction people have when they realize they profiled me wrong.
What I do have a problem with is being discriminated against based on what I’m wearing.  I was raised to look neat and presentable.  “You’re not a homeless vagrant,” “tuck in your shirt,” “fix your hair,” “don’t slouch,” all things I’ve heard all my life.
Because of this, no matter what I’m wearing, I can’t stand to look sloppy.  It’s nothing vain, it’s about having respect for yourself and always looking presentable.  That is the main reason why I open carry my pistol.
I don’t care if you see it or not, I have no problem covering it up with a jacket if need be.  I don’t care what you think about concealing it or any other arguments over which is better.  I DON’T CARE!  What I do care about, however, is how I feel in whatever I’m wearing.
Like I said earlier, I’m a big scary looking guy.  I can not help that, I’m a medical freak of nature with an ugly mug that scares people, whether I smile or not.  No this is not a put down, this is what I’ve faced my entire life.
I can not change my face nor my large frame so I have learned to live with these reactions, making fun in hopes of causing laughter to ease whatever fear is felt.  It doesn’t happen all the time but it happens more times than not.
Being a big guy, I have to wear my clothes slightly different than those half my size.  But like guys half my size, I like to be comfortable.  Tucking anything down my waistline other than a shirt causes me great discomfort, so I prefer to carry my pistol on the outside of my pants.
If I’m not in my uniform at work I get to decide what I’m going to wear, based on the mood I’m in.  I pick out my underwear, regular or playful, despite that no one else will see it, but it’s how I’m feeling that day.  I pick a pair of socks.  I pick out a shirt, T-shirt, polo, or button up.  I pick out what’s going to sit on my legs, shorts, slacks, or jeans.  I pick one of two belts, a dress up or my Superman belt.
Finally, I pick which holster I feel like wearing, based on which pistol I wish to carry.  Is it my 1911 or my Taurus?  If it’s the 1911, which grips do I feel like wearing?  The point is, it’s all about the personal freedom to choose what I wish to wear that day.
If you do not want me to discriminate against you based on what you wear, because it’s not who you are, then please don’t discriminate against me for what I choose to wear.  You do not have to like it, you do not even have agree with it, you do, however, do not get to discriminate against me because of it. 
- Max M. Power