This “chapter” takes a great diversion from your MD journey, MD and MC s lives, and a big leap into yours. Being somewhat familiar with this and other crises in your life I didn’t find it shocking or unsettling. It is weird how our philosophies and our feelings can twist and send us into caves we should know not to enter. My times of crisis are greatly softened by time and experience -- but also as I am not a writer or collector, I don’t have reminders or journals to revisit them so clearly. I look forward to how this fits into the rest of your writing. I do lose the thread reading like this, but am nevertheless enjoying each Substack post and reading.
I love Marj’s list for the doc, sad and tragic though it is. I love that she kept it and that you have it and that you shared it here.
Thanks Maureen, sorry I'm a bit late to see your comment. Yes, indeed our crises do take us to strange and interesting (in retrospect) places. I know that softening-over-time you talk of, thank goodness, if not for time we'd be walking around as right messes. I love that you are still in there with the story, your feedback always has special meaning to me.
What a deep dive into your own descent! I was right there beside you as I read it, almost breathlessly. I love that you felt solidarity with Inanna. One of my favorite “chronic illness memoirs” talks about Inanna’s descent as well, alongside Persephone. Both, returning to darkness cyclically and how that mirrors the chronic illness experience. We don’t experience the typical Campbell “heroes journey” where we descend, slay and return victorious. Instead, the feminine is about returning again and again, each time, learning something new and bringing these lessons back to her community.
Oh glad that resonates with you Kimberly, Yes, returning again and again, it certainly feels that way. I'm glad you reminded me that the Heroine's Journey is quite different. I've always pushed against the Heroes Journey even though I teach it as a model, but not the ONLY model. That's another reason I like Duras so much. To me her writing really represents that feminine sensibility.
Thanks Bill, yeah had no idea that it would happen when I started out. Was a completely different beast in the beginning. It's been a long process over many years and it has morphed and changed a lot. Wasn't sure about adding this bit but women readers said they wanted more of my story. I think I originally wrote the Descent piece off to the side somewhere on a blog I had going about the whole process. I still post occasionally there, in fact talking to you now has prompted me to go over and post and up date. I'll send you the link shortly. J
Wow. You do let it all hang out. Being male, and never -that I am aware of - having had a crisis I found this profoundly unsettling and realise that although I have known you for years I know (knew) nothing about you. Can’t say that now. I will probably need to re-read this. Wow.
Oh sorry Richard, maybe I should have attached a content warning... It gets pretty graphic down there in Erishkigal's cave. Yeah, some people never have to go through the big life crisis, or maybe they do but it doesn't affect them so much. Saw your emails come through will reply today.
This “chapter” takes a great diversion from your MD journey, MD and MC s lives, and a big leap into yours. Being somewhat familiar with this and other crises in your life I didn’t find it shocking or unsettling. It is weird how our philosophies and our feelings can twist and send us into caves we should know not to enter. My times of crisis are greatly softened by time and experience -- but also as I am not a writer or collector, I don’t have reminders or journals to revisit them so clearly. I look forward to how this fits into the rest of your writing. I do lose the thread reading like this, but am nevertheless enjoying each Substack post and reading.
I love Marj’s list for the doc, sad and tragic though it is. I love that she kept it and that you have it and that you shared it here.
Thanks Maureen, sorry I'm a bit late to see your comment. Yes, indeed our crises do take us to strange and interesting (in retrospect) places. I know that softening-over-time you talk of, thank goodness, if not for time we'd be walking around as right messes. I love that you are still in there with the story, your feedback always has special meaning to me.
What a deep dive into your own descent! I was right there beside you as I read it, almost breathlessly. I love that you felt solidarity with Inanna. One of my favorite “chronic illness memoirs” talks about Inanna’s descent as well, alongside Persephone. Both, returning to darkness cyclically and how that mirrors the chronic illness experience. We don’t experience the typical Campbell “heroes journey” where we descend, slay and return victorious. Instead, the feminine is about returning again and again, each time, learning something new and bringing these lessons back to her community.
Oh glad that resonates with you Kimberly, Yes, returning again and again, it certainly feels that way. I'm glad you reminded me that the Heroine's Journey is quite different. I've always pushed against the Heroes Journey even though I teach it as a model, but not the ONLY model. That's another reason I like Duras so much. To me her writing really represents that feminine sensibility.
Powerful stuff, Jan. Did you anticipate that writing about MD would lead to such self exposure, or did that arise only in the course of writing?
Thanks Bill, yeah had no idea that it would happen when I started out. Was a completely different beast in the beginning. It's been a long process over many years and it has morphed and changed a lot. Wasn't sure about adding this bit but women readers said they wanted more of my story. I think I originally wrote the Descent piece off to the side somewhere on a blog I had going about the whole process. I still post occasionally there, in fact talking to you now has prompted me to go over and post and up date. I'll send you the link shortly. J
Wow. You do let it all hang out. Being male, and never -that I am aware of - having had a crisis I found this profoundly unsettling and realise that although I have known you for years I know (knew) nothing about you. Can’t say that now. I will probably need to re-read this. Wow.
Oh sorry Richard, maybe I should have attached a content warning... It gets pretty graphic down there in Erishkigal's cave. Yeah, some people never have to go through the big life crisis, or maybe they do but it doesn't affect them so much. Saw your emails come through will reply today.