Who I Am
Hi, I’m Robert—though you can call me B.R.
Storyteller. Mischief-maker. Reluctant Rock-Hauler.
I created Empathy on the Rocks to share the kind of tales that stick—etched in memory, rough-edged with humor, and grounded in a stubborn streak of justice,and empathy refuses to apologize for being strong.
Why This Exists
The idea for this blog was born in the emotional fallout of the 2024 election. Like many, I was equal parts disappointed, enraged, and existentially hungover. Instead of letting MSNBC melt my eyeballs, I grabbed a pen (or keyboard) and started writing.
At first, it was survival. Then, it became joy.
Some of the stories here are true to the letter, others are “emotionally accurate but factually flexible” (a family specialty). All of them are stitched together from real feelings, lived experience, and the occasional exaggeration that makes the truth easier to swallow.
What You’ll Find Here
Think of this blog as my open journal, my pocketful of stones, and my invitation to wander the rocky trails of being human. And every now and then, we’ll skip a stone across the surface—because even the heaviest truths deserve a moment of lightness.
Expect:
Stories that carve deep
Sass that soothes like river stone pebbles
Honesty that shows up raw, sharp, and unapologetically real
Reflections that connect and challenge
A little mischief, a lot of meaning, and zero filters
This isn’t a place for polished perfection. It’s a place for messy humanity—the kind we all carry and the kind that binds us together.
Why I Write
I write because empathy isn’t soft—it’s strong.
I write because laughter and grief often hold hands.
I write to connect, to question, to rebel against despair, and to remind myself (and maybe you) that we’re not alone in this wild, beautiful mess called being human.
Pull Up a Stool
You’re welcome here anytime. Seriously. Whether you’re carrying a boulder of grief, skipping pebbles of joy, or just sitting with the jagged edges of a day that didn’t go as planned—this is your place. Set your stones down. Stack them, sort them, chuck one if you need to.
Feel free to make a comment—because the best stories deserve a little back-and-forth, a few shared rocks, and maybe a smooth one to pocket for luck.