Oh hi there! *waves excitedly* 

We've been working hard behind the scenes here at the Band to bring you a most special gift for the new year. We've been working on creating a calendar. I KNOW. It's very exciting indeed. 

We knew we wanted to feature some of our very own Band members, but we also wanted to feature some of the conditions that we are the face of. Because here at the Band we are the face of many things, and we want people to know that we're not afraid to own those things and talk about them. 

In addition to asking 13 folks to take a pretty picture for us, we also sat down with them to discuss what condition each is the face of, and what they have to say about it. 

Introducing Benjamin, who is up in June 2013 and representing the face of Bipolar Disorder.

What brought you to the Band?

As a friend of Becky's, I came to help The Band during it's major growth point last summer. She needed some help getting things moving and I'd just had a major batch of free time handed to me. It was a good fit.

How has this condition changed your life?

Bipolar Disorder is a tricky thing. It makes it impossible for you to regulate and manage your own moods without incredible levels of control over everything that you do on a day-to-day basis. Since starting medication, things have gotten easier, but it still takes some impulse control.

What advice would you give to others about your condition?

If you have it, get treatment. If you don't, try not to judge us too harshly. We're going to make stupid decisions, break things, sell things, give them away, and we're not going to be able to come up with a good reason why. Try to forgive us, we didn't mean it.

What myth about your condition do you wish people would stop believing?

That you can live a normal life without medication. You can't be bipolar and live a normal life WITH medication, without it you're just struggling not to drown.

What is your favorite band or musician?

Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor is one of the most innovative and instantly-recognizable sounds in industrial and rock music. KMFDM is also ALWAYS on my iPod. And phone. And computer.

Do you play an instrument?

I used to play Clarinet, Tuba and Trombone. Now I can write half-decent techno on my laptop, but that's not really an instrument. What about a Guitar Hero guitar? Does that count?

Who is your hero, and why?

R Buckminster Fuller. He went broke more than once trying to build and design things that would make life better for all people everywhere, rather than just a few people who could afford it. He was underrated in his own time, and we're only now beginning to recognize just how far ahead he was really thinking.

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