Caroline Knapp's moving book, Drinking: A Love Story is a challenging journey into self-discovery. She details the fear we have of really being 'in our skin.' Of knowing who we are and accepting it. It is well worth the read.
"There’s something about facing long afternoons without the numbing distraction of any sort of anesthesia that disabuses you of the belief in externals, shows you that strength and hope come not from circumstances or the acquisition of things but from the simple accumulation of active experience, from gritting the teeth and checking the items off the list, one by one, even though it’s painful and you’re afraid....Passivity is corrosive to the soul; it feeds on feelings of integrity and pride, and it can be as tempting as a drug. If it feels warm and fuzzy, it is probably the [addictive] choice. If it feels dangerous and scary and threatening and painful, it is probably healthy."
I really like this. A few of the most important people in my life have a major addiction and it is hard for me to connect to their level of what they are experiencing and going through because I do not live an addicted life. I really like the part where it says if it feels dangerous and scary and threatening and painful, it is probably healthy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words. Addiction aint easy. Peace. T
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