8 Comments
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Robert Wallis's avatar

Another excruciatingly beautiful essay. Rage on.

Alice Goldbloom's avatar

You have packed a lifetime into this essay. And I agree that it takes a long time to learn we can’t change other people. Life gets a bit easier when we realize this.

Teronda Seymore's avatar

Oh wow. I love reading origin stories. And not from a peeping Tommisha point-of-view. I like understanding what motivates people and what makes them who they are. And that makes me think about my family members who held secrets and acted like nothing affected them even though those secrets affected future generations. Their reactions, if they even acknowledged something did or didn't happen, were always some form of "It's life." Maybe if the older generations were more transparent, more vulnerable about their decisions and feelings, future generations would hold fewer resentments.

Julia John's avatar

Hi Ally - From my 'what on earth is going on is this really my life' world to yours. As always thank you for putting into words so much of what I feel. I've had the same thing the last few weeks with dealing with the depths of crisis/functioning to do what needs to be done to then look up and see the news and just stop in my tracks. You are a special being. Just thank you. Sending love from my heart to yours.

Cabot O'Callaghan's avatar

Oooof. Lots to directly relate to.

So much dysfunction and pain we are born into. And as children, we just have to take it. Then it gets packed in our bags on our journey to adulthood.

"Maybe there’s something in here about cleaning up the messes we make while we’re lucid and while there’s time, or not spending the tiny amount of time we get absolutely destroying people."

[deep sigh] Yeah.

Glad you made it through the mess. Past and present. 🫠

Paul's avatar

This essay cuts deep. Thank you for your willingness to lay bare what so many are unable to...this is a mesmerizing read, and therapeutic too.

Eric Fulmer's avatar

Thank you, this is powerful and beautifully written.

Karen Davis's avatar

I agree that it could be a genre! Those days of flying every week, however, are done for me, but boy do I have some stories! ANd also, your essay was beautiful and heart-wrenching.