Apparently, I Missed Two Months

 Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative.

Apparently August and September happened without me. 😂

I just realized I missed two months of blog posts. The funny part? I actually wrote something. I just never posted it. That probably tells you everything you need to know about how hectic these last two months have been.

Life has been LIFE-ing. There has been a lot happening in the world, a lot happening around me, and plenty happening in my own little corner. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, August disappeared, September followed right behind it, and now here we are.

October 1st.

So, let's talk.

October Isn't Just Spooky Season

October brings spooky season, but it also brings Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month began in October 1981 as a national "Day of Unity." It has since become a month dedicated to awareness, education, survivor support, and efforts to end domestic violence. The 2026 campaign continues With Survivors, Always, with a stronger focus on moving from awareness to action.

 ("The National Domestic Violence Hotline" (https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-awareness-month/); "Domestic Violence Awareness Project" (https://www.dvawareness.org/WithSurvivors))

That part matters to me.

Domestic violence goes beyond physical abuse. Intimate partner violence can include physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, psychological aggression, and controlling behaviors. Financial abuse can also be used to create dependence and make leaving more difficult.

That's why the money from my October effort is going toward Domestic Violence Awareness.

I want there to be something behind the conversation. Awareness is important, but action gives awareness somewhere to go.

Nolan Wells

Another story that has stayed on my mind is Nolan Wells.

Nolan was 18 when he went to Horn Island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast during the July 4th holiday. He disappeared after becoming separated from the group, and his body was found on the island two days later. A Jackson County grand jury later declined to bring criminal charges after reviewing evidence and hearing testimony from 43 witnesses. The grand jury report stated that it found no credible evidence of criminal conduct connected to those who traveled to and from Horn Island with Nolan. 

("ABC News" (https://abcnews.com/US/criminal-charges-death-nolan-wells-grand-jury-report/story?id=136638251); "Mississippi Today" (https://mississippitoday.org/2026/09/21/nolan-wells-death-no-indictments/))

The medical findings leave important questions. The state medical examiner and an independent pathologist both classified Nolan's cause and manner of death as undetermined. The reports documented bruising to the back of his head, while the grand jury found no fatal injuries and described drowning as consistent with the condition and location of his body. 

("The Washington Post" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/09/24/nolan-wells-grand-jury-cellphone-investigation/4c108b86-b7cd-11f1-94cb-d3d8f22a8c8b_story.html); "People" (https://people.com/nolan-wells-official-autopsy-released-by-his-family-12138260))

The phone evidence has also become part of the conversation. A digital-forensics expert working with Nolan's family clarified that there was no evidence that someone physically accessed or deleted data directly from Nolan's phone. Some Snapchat messages were remotely deleted or unsent by people involved in the conversations. The expert said the available information did not establish who deleted those messages or why. 

("Mississippi Free Press" (https://www.mississippifreepress.org/crumps-expert-who-examined-nolan-wells-phone-clarifies-misinterpreted-claims-about-deleted-messages/); "Washington Post" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/09/24/nolan-wells-grand-jury-cellphone-investigation/4c108b86-b7cd-11f1-94cb-d3d8f22a8c8b_story.html))

That distinction matters.

We live in a time when a theory can become a fact simply because enough people repeat it. A tragedy can become social media entertainment before a family has even had time to process what happened.

I don't know what happened to Nolan. I don't think social media knows either.

His family still has questions. Those questions deserve to be taken seriously without turning unanswered questions into confirmed conclusions.

That's really the bigger issue for me.

We have gotten way too comfortable filling in the blanks.

Someone dies, something happens, a headline drops, and suddenly everybody has the entire story figured out.

Sometimes the most responsible thing we can say is, "I don't know."

That doesn't mean we don't care.

It means we understand the difference between caring about a story and owning the story.

So Here We Are

August and September may have gotten away from me, but October is here.

There is plenty happening in the world worth talking about, questioning, researching, and sometimes simply sitting with.

Domestic violence deserves more than a month of purple ribbons. Families like the Wells family deserve more than a few weeks of attention before the internet moves on. People deserve facts, transparency, and room for questions when the answers aren't there yet.

That's the kind of conversation I want to have here.

Some days it'll be serious. Some days it'll be something completely random. Some days I'll have an opinion. Other days I'll simply be trying to understand something myself.

I don't need to have every answer to have the conversation.

October 1st. I'm back. Let's talk.