You are why I’m on Substack. I f-ing love your writing. For some reason I always find myself wanting to read your writing aloud (maybe I’ll start reading to my cat?). You’re brilliant and hilarious and wise and humble. Love you!
Holy mackerel that's a WILD string of devastating things - I would have been throwing shit out of the car at the person who cut you off 🤣🤣. Thank you so much for sharing and we ALL know a David Conley!
Loved this "disaster" tale and the way you chose to view it.
I also sensed that even as you deal with the "clean" anger, you're already prospectively seeing humor in it. This part made me laugh:
"Instead of offering a quick, polite honk like a normal person, I laid on the horn and started to scream, making animal sounds more than words, which would definitely have been less awkward if Daniel and his parents hadn’t also been in the car."
I love ACT so much. I devoured his book on the topic, the title of I’m totally blanking on at the moment. It totally reframed how in interact with anxiety. I also love the question “what are you making it mean”. It’s so juicy and usually helps me uncover the stories I’m writing about a particular situation. All of that said, that’s a lot of stuff to go wrong all at once. Any one of those things would have been a big deal on their own. Life is really weird sometimes.
You weren’t kidding about your fall being weird. The fact you can write about it now with such humility and humour tells me you are going to get through it all with grace. And who hasn’t road raged?? You are in good company. I loved your three options regarding how you could choose to interpret everything. Adding for fun: #4 Shit happens. #5 I’m good now Universe, thanks.
Be well and all the best with your upcoming event.
OMG! If they made a movie out of these events, no one would believe it!!! You poor soul!! I can totally understand why you screamed blue murder after that final car issue! It’s all got to come out some way, and honestly, screaming and swearing, even if the in-laws are in the car, sounds like a good option!!! Wow…. I’m exhausted just from reading about it. Thank goodness for house insurance! But wow…
Sending so many gentle healing vibes. From my own experience, these things don’t happen to make you reconsider jumping. It’s more like they’re a confirmation that a New Start is SO required. And there will be a totally clean break and New Start no matter what. I’m glad you’re reappearing out the end of it all. And I’m so glad you’re resuming teaching, something you clearly enjoy, after all this time. I’m in Australia so definitely won’t be attending but I will be sending you SO MANY positive vibes. Take care dear soul. 🤗🤗😘😘💕💕
Thank you so much, Beth. You're so right, this is an absolute, 100% New Start situation. Thanks for all your support and good vibes -- I feel them! -- and I'm thinking about trying to manifest teaching in Australia. I've only been once, and it was a stopover for work in Adelaide on the way home from Bali, so I don't even feel like it counts. :)
What a wonderful post. I love the distinction between clean pain and dirty pain. Very easy to understand description.
And oh Bryan... "I will turn your water on but I will not turn it off." SUCH a cat thing (I could see my three doing this).
The living in what sounds like an active runway reminded me of when our main floor of our house flooded and for 6 months we dodged more flooding and nonsense all while I stood in small puddles of water while attending zoom meetings.
Thanks for all your writing. I love it so much - all the wise, funny, heartbreaking, both...ands about it!
Oh my gosh, standing in small puddles of water while attending Zoom meetings is all too relatable. We're still surrounded by plastic sheeting and holes in our ceilings and walls, it'll probably be April before we can build it all back. Thanks so much for your kind feedback!
WOW. That is some crazy-making shit. Thank you for sharing. Your writing and your voice resonate so strongly, and your earned wisdom is invaluable to us, your readers.
The "clean" pain verus "dirty" pain bit made me think of that Buddhist story about the two darts (or arrows?) - the one that hits us and then the one we hit with our own reaction to the first. My partner and I have gotten into the habit of asking each other, "Is this the first dart or second dart talking now?"
Love this, and so sorry for all of the clean pain it brought but also, thank you for sharing your good humor with us because it also gave me several genuine chuckles <3
I love every word of this but for some reason the best part was that someone claimed their grandfather invented corduroy. haha.
Right??? (And thank you!)
You are why I’m on Substack. I f-ing love your writing. For some reason I always find myself wanting to read your writing aloud (maybe I’ll start reading to my cat?). You’re brilliant and hilarious and wise and humble. Love you!
Aw, Kim, thank you. I love you too! Should I do audio versions of these posts??
I am clearly not Kim, but YES, YOU SHOULD DO AUDIO VERSIONS OF THESE POSTS. Ok, I’m done yelling.
The car is the only safe space for real screaming and no passengers can take that away.
AMEN
Holy mackerel that's a WILD string of devastating things - I would have been throwing shit out of the car at the person who cut you off 🤣🤣. Thank you so much for sharing and we ALL know a David Conley!
Ha, thank you for the solidarity!!!!!
Bryan is a handsome furry devil! Love him and love your writing. Just thank you for all of it!💗
Thank you Sherry!
That is an absolute wild pile on of events. Ugh. I'm so sorry! Your cat will need to start an Only Fans to help pay its share of the damage.
Also, I'm coming to Craftcation for the first time! Can't wait!
Hahahahaha an OnlyFans. I truly wish he was easier to monetize. And YAY!!! So psyched you're coming, you're going to love it. Can't wait to see you!
Loved this "disaster" tale and the way you chose to view it.
I also sensed that even as you deal with the "clean" anger, you're already prospectively seeing humor in it. This part made me laugh:
"Instead of offering a quick, polite honk like a normal person, I laid on the horn and started to scream, making animal sounds more than words, which would definitely have been less awkward if Daniel and his parents hadn’t also been in the car."
Thank you David! Humor has saved my life (no hyperbole!) on more than one occasion. :)
I love ACT so much. I devoured his book on the topic, the title of I’m totally blanking on at the moment. It totally reframed how in interact with anxiety. I also love the question “what are you making it mean”. It’s so juicy and usually helps me uncover the stories I’m writing about a particular situation. All of that said, that’s a lot of stuff to go wrong all at once. Any one of those things would have been a big deal on their own. Life is really weird sometimes.
Life is incredibly weird sometimes. I love ACT too, it's been such a helpful framework for me as well! Thanks Kim. :)
Gosh what a wonderful piece of writing and lololol at David Conley bless him and all of us 🤣😘
I assume he grew out of it, but sometimes I'm like, I wonder if his LinkedIn says he went to astronaut school! Haha. Thank you Emma!
Oh Emily.
You weren’t kidding about your fall being weird. The fact you can write about it now with such humility and humour tells me you are going to get through it all with grace. And who hasn’t road raged?? You are in good company. I loved your three options regarding how you could choose to interpret everything. Adding for fun: #4 Shit happens. #5 I’m good now Universe, thanks.
Be well and all the best with your upcoming event.
Thank you Kim! Love your additions to my options. Yes!!!!
OMG! If they made a movie out of these events, no one would believe it!!! You poor soul!! I can totally understand why you screamed blue murder after that final car issue! It’s all got to come out some way, and honestly, screaming and swearing, even if the in-laws are in the car, sounds like a good option!!! Wow…. I’m exhausted just from reading about it. Thank goodness for house insurance! But wow…
Sending so many gentle healing vibes. From my own experience, these things don’t happen to make you reconsider jumping. It’s more like they’re a confirmation that a New Start is SO required. And there will be a totally clean break and New Start no matter what. I’m glad you’re reappearing out the end of it all. And I’m so glad you’re resuming teaching, something you clearly enjoy, after all this time. I’m in Australia so definitely won’t be attending but I will be sending you SO MANY positive vibes. Take care dear soul. 🤗🤗😘😘💕💕
Thank you so much, Beth. You're so right, this is an absolute, 100% New Start situation. Thanks for all your support and good vibes -- I feel them! -- and I'm thinking about trying to manifest teaching in Australia. I've only been once, and it was a stopover for work in Adelaide on the way home from Bali, so I don't even feel like it counts. :)
It is an extraordinary country. I hope you make it here at some stage and that you have enough time to sample some bits properly. Hugs dear Emily.
Bryan, you handsome devil. I’m sorry, but I lol’ed at that. Like: how??? Great essay.
Bryan is lucky that he is a super handsome kitty!
What a wonderful post. I love the distinction between clean pain and dirty pain. Very easy to understand description.
And oh Bryan... "I will turn your water on but I will not turn it off." SUCH a cat thing (I could see my three doing this).
The living in what sounds like an active runway reminded me of when our main floor of our house flooded and for 6 months we dodged more flooding and nonsense all while I stood in small puddles of water while attending zoom meetings.
Thanks for all your writing. I love it so much - all the wise, funny, heartbreaking, both...ands about it!
Oh my gosh, standing in small puddles of water while attending Zoom meetings is all too relatable. We're still surrounded by plastic sheeting and holes in our ceilings and walls, it'll probably be April before we can build it all back. Thanks so much for your kind feedback!
WOW. That is some crazy-making shit. Thank you for sharing. Your writing and your voice resonate so strongly, and your earned wisdom is invaluable to us, your readers.
Thank you so much, Deborah!
The "clean" pain verus "dirty" pain bit made me think of that Buddhist story about the two darts (or arrows?) - the one that hits us and then the one we hit with our own reaction to the first. My partner and I have gotten into the habit of asking each other, "Is this the first dart or second dart talking now?"
Love this, and so sorry for all of the clean pain it brought but also, thank you for sharing your good humor with us because it also gave me several genuine chuckles <3