The Journey

To my dear readers and those who may find themselves on this site: I wanted to offer you a little bit of insight and perspective on the current intention behind this blog and the posts that you will see moving forward at this time.

I restarted this blog in 2022 with some sporadic writings interspersed with long periods of absence. In my silences, I have been working hard and writing, writing, writing. I’m writing my way through a disjointed hodgepodge of experiences, moments, thoughts and feelings. Each piece I write is a piece of the puzzle, and over time, I believe the pieces will come together into a cohesive narrative.

Ultimately, my goal through this writing process is to gain deeper understanding, greater clarity, healing and forgiveness, for myself first and foremost, and of the other forces that have deeply impacted me as well.

As a writer, there are two parts of the story that seem to both be necessary for the full impact of the creative process to take place. First, there is the deep processing and catharsis that comes through the creative act of writing, itself. At first, I thought (and hoped) this would be enough, but I’m discovering that the second part of the process is equally important and that is the part of sharing the work. This second part, the part of revealing, requires deep vulnerability, and ultimately, surrender. In the end, I believe this surrender is vital to the full efficacy of my undertaking because only through this aspect can the creative work find a greater purpose and meaning.

At the time of this post, I am only 8 months out of a high control spiritual therapy group that consumed a total of 14 years of my life. The years before that were consumed by a family cult coupled with the influence of another high control religious group. Therefore, I am 8 months free (and counting!) from a lifetime spent mostly under coercive control, narcissistic manipulation, and spiritual abuse. I am actively recovering. The writing that I am sharing here is a fundamental part of my recovery.

In my recovery, I have also been helped enormously by the courageous, brazen souls who have unabashedly shared their stories of pain and healing. They are my heroes and my inspiration. From them, I have gained hope, courage and the determination to not only rise above but to find a source and outlet for my life’s purpose: to help others.

My prayer is that these stories may also offer hope, healing, inspiration and camaraderie to those who need it. May they be a testament to others who are walking their own road of recovery that they are not alone on this journey. And at the very least, may they provide some small amount of storytelling entertainment value. For if we can’t find a bit a humor and a bit of shock in the recounting of life’s inherent insanity, then we might as well be dead. 🙂

Finally, understand, this is not a finished work – far from. This is just the beginning.