My name is Andrew L. Hicks.
One time someone told me only douchebags use their middle initial in their name.
But listen. I spent the first 30 years of my life eaten up by addiction. Depression. Instability. I was a high school drop out. By every societal metric, I was a nobody, and I didn’t stand a chance.
So, lemme tell ya. When I finally got a GED in 2007, I was more proud of myself than you can imagine.
I hung that shit right on the wall.
A girl I dated for a minute back then saw my framed certificate while we were making out, and she made fun of me for feeling accomplished about a GED. I would have broken up with her on the spot, but she was really, really good at making out.
So, my GED. That was the first time my name was ever written as “Andrew L. Hicks.” Some years later when I went to college, it was a season of redefinition for me, of discovering new possibilities for my life. I received several awards, certificates, and eventually a degree: Most of ’em called me “Andrew L. Hicks.”
I published the first edition of my first book, The Art of Being Human, fresh out of college, still riding high on a sense that “I can do more in life than I ever used to imagine.”
Using Andrew L. Hicks as my author name was symbolic of growth, change, maturity, metamorphosis. Hell, before then I usually just went as Drew, so the joke was, I used to be so lazy I didn’t even wanna write my whole name.
But Andrew L. Hicks wasn’t a slovenly fuck; he was the real deal. Industrious, even.
Just kidding. As the industrious Andrew L. Hicks, I relapsed hard into my addictions in my mid-30s, becoming as slovenly (and delusional and unstable) as it gets. I truly blew up my entire life. It’s either astronomical luck or a legitimate miracle that I’m still alive. I’ll let you choose which.
The only way out was recovery. No half-measures. No excuses. I ended up a leader in my local Buddhist recovery movement, first with Refuge Recovery, and then our sangha (community) decided to become Recovery Dharma.
As of 2026, I am about five years clean (seven from my drug of choice), and I write daily emails to support others in recovery called Just for Right F*cking Now. (Because sometimes, even “one day at a time” is too damn long.)
These days I study Creative Writing and Consciousness and Human Potential at Maharishi International University, and have a variety of books and businesses in various stages of completion. Caregiving for family in need has also become an essential part of my makeup.
What were we talking about again?
Oh, right. One time someone told me only douchebags use their middle initial..
Am I a douchebag? I don’t know. It’s not up to me to worry about if you think I am a douche or not. Your perception of me is none of my business. My main concern is to do the best job I can to be loving, fair, and encouraging toward you and everyone I meet.
I’m really into this weird little idea that we’re all in this together. All of us.
