Английски език
Imagine being in your early 70's and suddenly learning a huge family
secret, then finding out that "everyone knew" but you!
Mine, like many families, was a family of secrets. A family of doing, not one of
talking or sharing. What happened in the home was never to be told outside.
"Always wear clean underwear!" "Don't air your dirty linen!" That lived reality
produced the memoir title, OUTSIDE// INSIDE.
This is my life, my abuse and survival stories, my relationships, my coming out
as a gay man, my choices both good and bad, and ultimately a life of
succeeding both personally and professionally. Growing up Roman Catholic
and attending 13 years of parochial school I was taught that confession is
good for the soul. As a practicing psychotherapist for 40 plus years, I
understood and experienced that clients sharing their personal stories was
good for their spirit. Sometimes it was necessary for their survival. Writing
this memoir encompassed both for me.
I completed my memoir just prior to turning 78 years old. Honestly, it was
now or never (wry smile). Writing allowed me to shine a bright light on the
hurtful emotional, physical, and sexual abusive events of my earlier
development, as well as relaying my recovery throughout my adulthood. The safety
and perspective of age, plus the lessons from my profession, fostered a
writing style that is like chatting with a friend. Draft readers said they greatly
appreciated the readability, engaging story telling style, and particularly the
dry humor and occasional psychological analysis. The Conclusion includes a
lengthy analysis of the perpetrators, but also of myself as a
victim/participant/survivor.
