MaryAnn, I'm so thankful for your bold and honest vulnerability! I had the privilege of attending the P!nk concert in Cincinnati Wednesday evening. P!nk and Brandi Carlile sang "Nothing Compares 2 You" in honor of Sinead and spoke about mental health, self care, and loving your neighbors. It was holy! Thank you for doing the same. It is in our brokenness that we find our strength and kin-dom.
It took me the better part of a year to get through the whole thing, but his basic thesis seems right on to me. I want to re-read the latter sections when he talks about approaches to healing. You?
Funny, before I came across this and out of curiosity read it, I was pondering the usefulness of disillusionment. RFKjr is providing more opportunities for disillusionment. Mine came early. 16 years old, 1968, a year of assassinations and my father’s death. My orphan status was established. Also the year of MLK & RFK’s assassinations within two and four months of my father’s death. Politics, government, religion, prayer (all unanswered in our nights of praying for the good to manifest) all insufficient to do what us right. To the contrary either ineffectual or downright doing bad things.
Little did I know that was a high spiritual moment in my life, the beginning of a lifelong journey that 66 years later sees so much clearly.
It’s all hard won. It’s an initiatory life that challenges us to go within to places we’d rather not; to harrow hell.
I wasn’t a Barbie kid. Didn’t play with dolls much. Glad to see such a moment happened in the film. Many people are having reactions to these two events.
I did see the SNL Sinead O’Connor event and was shocked by it. I didn’t know much about her, didn’t listen to her music so didn’t have a huge context for her, but saw my own disillusionment in her action.
What we need isn’t out there, it’s in between -- in between us and our true nature, and between Ive another. The Unity Consciousness that comes through as we penetrate through layers of dismembered people and things that serve love through providing disillusionment that there’s anything out there. Anything that will give us what we haven’t got by any means that’s anything other than a temporary fix, we’ll there’s Gabor Maté.
His work as a medical doctor that led him to addiction work and trauma and what is really needed for re*membering our Self and Love throbbing even within a broken heart like Sinead’s or a perfectly presented untouched one like Barbie’s -- which suddenly has me thinking about Buddha growing up in a perfectly protected environment in his father’s kingdom. When he first goes out and sees the suffering of humanity, he can’t reconcile it. His disillusionment led him to understand suffering and what brings about it’s end.
I’m glad Barbie was disillusioned. I hope more people who’ve tried the Barbie & Ken way of living in perfect presentation and denial are blessed to realize that fostering that illusion creates disconnection within and without.
Thanks for your comments about the Barbie movie. I thought this film was really insignificant until I read your essay. I am a retired 70+ year old PCUSA pastor. Your comments are compelling and most helpful. Also, your take on Sinead O’Connor are equally profound. Thank you for helping me grow up a bit!!
Thanks for writing this, MaryAnn. I feel exactly, having been a teenager in the 90s. I have been surprised HOW affected I've been by Sinead's death, and how much she meant to my formation as a young adult, how much I loved and admired her material ferocity, and her shatteringly beautiful voice and shatteringly beautiful lyrics. Thank you for describing her SNL protest as "punk," especially.
Thank you, MaryAnn. Sinead’s death - and life - is/was heartbreaking. Her music carried me through such pain and angst. Now your words have honored her and carried me.
Thank you for sharing your gifts. Quite often your writing speaks to me and inspires me. There is no doubt your insights and wisdom have inspired a great number of people...
MaryAnn, I'm so thankful for your bold and honest vulnerability! I had the privilege of attending the P!nk concert in Cincinnati Wednesday evening. P!nk and Brandi Carlile sang "Nothing Compares 2 You" in honor of Sinead and spoke about mental health, self care, and loving your neighbors. It was holy! Thank you for doing the same. It is in our brokenness that we find our strength and kin-dom.
You were there!!!! I saw video of this. How wonderful for you!
I just finished The Myth of Normal, too! Curious to know your thoughts!
It took me the better part of a year to get through the whole thing, but his basic thesis seems right on to me. I want to re-read the latter sections when he talks about approaches to healing. You?
Funny, before I came across this and out of curiosity read it, I was pondering the usefulness of disillusionment. RFKjr is providing more opportunities for disillusionment. Mine came early. 16 years old, 1968, a year of assassinations and my father’s death. My orphan status was established. Also the year of MLK & RFK’s assassinations within two and four months of my father’s death. Politics, government, religion, prayer (all unanswered in our nights of praying for the good to manifest) all insufficient to do what us right. To the contrary either ineffectual or downright doing bad things.
Little did I know that was a high spiritual moment in my life, the beginning of a lifelong journey that 66 years later sees so much clearly.
It’s all hard won. It’s an initiatory life that challenges us to go within to places we’d rather not; to harrow hell.
I wasn’t a Barbie kid. Didn’t play with dolls much. Glad to see such a moment happened in the film. Many people are having reactions to these two events.
I did see the SNL Sinead O’Connor event and was shocked by it. I didn’t know much about her, didn’t listen to her music so didn’t have a huge context for her, but saw my own disillusionment in her action.
What we need isn’t out there, it’s in between -- in between us and our true nature, and between Ive another. The Unity Consciousness that comes through as we penetrate through layers of dismembered people and things that serve love through providing disillusionment that there’s anything out there. Anything that will give us what we haven’t got by any means that’s anything other than a temporary fix, we’ll there’s Gabor Maté.
His work as a medical doctor that led him to addiction work and trauma and what is really needed for re*membering our Self and Love throbbing even within a broken heart like Sinead’s or a perfectly presented untouched one like Barbie’s -- which suddenly has me thinking about Buddha growing up in a perfectly protected environment in his father’s kingdom. When he first goes out and sees the suffering of humanity, he can’t reconcile it. His disillusionment led him to understand suffering and what brings about it’s end.
I’m glad Barbie was disillusioned. I hope more people who’ve tried the Barbie & Ken way of living in perfect presentation and denial are blessed to realize that fostering that illusion creates disconnection within and without.
Appreciate this thoughtful piece.
And I appreciate this thoughtful reply!
Thanks for your comments about the Barbie movie. I thought this film was really insignificant until I read your essay. I am a retired 70+ year old PCUSA pastor. Your comments are compelling and most helpful. Also, your take on Sinead O’Connor are equally profound. Thank you for helping me grow up a bit!!
We're all on a journey!
Thanks for writing this, MaryAnn. I feel exactly, having been a teenager in the 90s. I have been surprised HOW affected I've been by Sinead's death, and how much she meant to my formation as a young adult, how much I loved and admired her material ferocity, and her shatteringly beautiful voice and shatteringly beautiful lyrics. Thank you for describing her SNL protest as "punk," especially.
Shattering is right. So grateful for her. Maternal ferocity! Yes!
Thank you, MaryAnn. Sinead’s death - and life - is/was heartbreaking. Her music carried me through such pain and angst. Now your words have honored her and carried me.
Thank you Kelley! Miss you.
Thank you for sharing your gifts. Quite often your writing speaks to me and inspires me. There is no doubt your insights and wisdom have inspired a great number of people...
Very grateful, David. Thank you!
Thank you
Thank you back, Olivia, for reading and responding!