I woke early this morning, too tired to write so I do what I always do when body and brain refuse to collaborate, I read instead...
I am now caught up with ‘this’ - your incredible this.
I’ve clicked every link, watched your outstanding films, dipped into your father’s blues and saved to my music list because I love that twangy guitar string sound a lot and now, well now, I have to wait for the next ‘this’ to arrive AND I can’t wait...
I have loved and cried and fought those deep moments of soul searching paralysis with you... and loved every single damn word.
This.... I am overwhelmed with awe and love for you - thank you 🙏🏽 xxx
I read your response early this morning and my heart just swelled with joy and warmth. I tried to reply but you completely scrambled my brain with love. Now I
I'm trying again but it still feels like English is now my second, or third, language. So I'll leave it at THANK YOU. Thank you for diving into the deep end with me and letting the waves of my (our) stories do what they must. What a treasure you are and I feel over-the-moon grateful for your reflections and presence today.
Thank YOU for the deep water swim Kimberly, I’m really happy to have found you here too - that sounds terribly lame but it’s late and the day has been long and my old brain Is saying NO to anything more literary, it is the absolute vérité though..! X
Beautiful, compelling writing...leaves me wanting MORE! Especially loved the line near the end that says: “Together, we were right side up in the upside down world”. I’m there with you...💕
Oh my, how scary for you as mother... I should put trigger warnings at the top of some of these chapters. I hope your daughter's recovery and care have been much more straight-forward than mine. x
It's taken a while... broken jaw, concussion, loss of teeth... the physical damage got 'fixed' incredibly quickly and perfectly (she lives in Switzerland and has 1st class insurance!) but over a year later she was going through phases of emotional healing... it was a big shock, also existentially! And stuff might still come up... Well, I don't need to tell you. (it was horrific for me too, of course! But no, I don't need trigger warnings) 💗
So much incredible writing in this harrowing chapter. But this passage really stood out to me. “Together, we were right-side up in the upside down. But time and circumstance want to test this delicate balance.”
.... you picked out my favorite line too. Here's a poem by R. Wahtola that perfectly describes that feeling when suddenly a sentence or word or thought "quivers wild."
It’s like when dowsing rods swing back and forth,
twin tattletales of all we cannot see.
I’ve seen them twitch and cross—a sign that water
is nearby. A sign this spot’s the perfect
place to dig a well. A scientist
would say it’s luck—it’s in the dowser’s walk.
They’d say that everywhere’s the perfect place
to dig when everywhere you go has water.
I know the feel of dousing rods inside
my blood each time I meet a blank page and
then try to say what’s true—my inner rods
will quiver wild or simply sit there, still.
And what a thrill when they say, “Here, dig here.”
I just read everything over two nights. It’s 1:10am and I just said out loud -- “I’m caught up?! NO!!!!” I’m aching for more. Thank you for this. I love getting lost in your story.
Haha! And even after listening to Dani's podcast?! I've held back from sharing her episode over here because I'm afraid people won't want to keep reading if they hear the whole-ish story. Though the memoir certainly goes a lot deeper. What do you think, should I wait to share the episode until I'm done? I think it'll wrap around summer 2024.
Fwiw, knowing the whole story is what hooked me in the first place. Knowing how things turn out doesn't dissuade me from wanting to read this. Why's that? It's the writing. The reflection. The detail. In fact, I LOVE that I've HEARD what happened from your actual voice...and now I'm SEEING what happened through your written words.
Your writing is exquisite. In fact, I just linked it to one of my clients (I'm a memoir coach) as an example of how to knock it out of the park.
So, to answer your question, bring on the Dani Shapiro interview and worry not that it might steal any thunder.
Talking about a story and writing about it are two completely different things...and your loyal followers (I'm waving my hand wildly here) are happy to devour both.
Christine, would you be ok if I quoted this (not the part about you sharing with your client) in my post later today when I share (eeeek) the podcast interview with Dani? ❤️
Oh!!!! You just made my heart beat wildly!!!!!! Seriously. I’m sitting at Gate E6 getting ready to board a flight and I think I already lifted off.😂 THANK YOU for your skilled and generous feedback. I’m baffled to feel such receptivity and encouragement as I share my story. ❤️
"He flew over his bike too—not from the impact of a door but from the sound of my impact and his sudden reaction. / Together, we were right-side up in the upside down. But time and circumstance want to test this delicate balance." - Oh my goodness, that gave chills and aches.
Wow. So many parallels. I wonder if your biological father and I ever crossed paths? I was in Madison between 1978-1982. Not likely, I’m sure, but that would be something, wouldn’t it?
Wow! A full-on Unfixed binge. I woke up to a gazillion notifications this morning in my inbox and thought I must've won the lottery. ;) Thank you for spending some of your Sunday lounging with me. I'm touched that you went in for the deep dive.
I woke early this morning, too tired to write so I do what I always do when body and brain refuse to collaborate, I read instead...
I am now caught up with ‘this’ - your incredible this.
I’ve clicked every link, watched your outstanding films, dipped into your father’s blues and saved to my music list because I love that twangy guitar string sound a lot and now, well now, I have to wait for the next ‘this’ to arrive AND I can’t wait...
I have loved and cried and fought those deep moments of soul searching paralysis with you... and loved every single damn word.
This.... I am overwhelmed with awe and love for you - thank you 🙏🏽 xxx
I read your response early this morning and my heart just swelled with joy and warmth. I tried to reply but you completely scrambled my brain with love. Now I
I'm trying again but it still feels like English is now my second, or third, language. So I'll leave it at THANK YOU. Thank you for diving into the deep end with me and letting the waves of my (our) stories do what they must. What a treasure you are and I feel over-the-moon grateful for your reflections and presence today.
Thank YOU for the deep water swim Kimberly, I’m really happy to have found you here too - that sounds terribly lame but it’s late and the day has been long and my old brain Is saying NO to anything more literary, it is the absolute vérité though..! X
Beautiful, compelling writing...leaves me wanting MORE! Especially loved the line near the end that says: “Together, we were right side up in the upside down world”. I’m there with you...💕
OH NO!!! I get so drawn into so many episodes of your story ~ in part because of your brilliant writing no doubt ~ but this...
a bit over a year ago my beautiful daughter had a horrific bike accident... and yours just took me right back!
Oh my, how scary for you as mother... I should put trigger warnings at the top of some of these chapters. I hope your daughter's recovery and care have been much more straight-forward than mine. x
It's taken a while... broken jaw, concussion, loss of teeth... the physical damage got 'fixed' incredibly quickly and perfectly (she lives in Switzerland and has 1st class insurance!) but over a year later she was going through phases of emotional healing... it was a big shock, also existentially! And stuff might still come up... Well, I don't need to tell you. (it was horrific for me too, of course! But no, I don't need trigger warnings) 💗
So much incredible writing in this harrowing chapter. But this passage really stood out to me. “Together, we were right-side up in the upside down. But time and circumstance want to test this delicate balance.”
.... you picked out my favorite line too. Here's a poem by R. Wahtola that perfectly describes that feeling when suddenly a sentence or word or thought "quivers wild."
It’s like when dowsing rods swing back and forth,
twin tattletales of all we cannot see.
I’ve seen them twitch and cross—a sign that water
is nearby. A sign this spot’s the perfect
place to dig a well. A scientist
would say it’s luck—it’s in the dowser’s walk.
They’d say that everywhere’s the perfect place
to dig when everywhere you go has water.
I know the feel of dousing rods inside
my blood each time I meet a blank page and
then try to say what’s true—my inner rods
will quiver wild or simply sit there, still.
And what a thrill when they say, “Here, dig here.”
It’s more a matter of how deep, not where.
I just read everything over two nights. It’s 1:10am and I just said out loud -- “I’m caught up?! NO!!!!” I’m aching for more. Thank you for this. I love getting lost in your story.
Haha! And even after listening to Dani's podcast?! I've held back from sharing her episode over here because I'm afraid people won't want to keep reading if they hear the whole-ish story. Though the memoir certainly goes a lot deeper. What do you think, should I wait to share the episode until I'm done? I think it'll wrap around summer 2024.
And thank you for reading dear new friend!
Fwiw, knowing the whole story is what hooked me in the first place. Knowing how things turn out doesn't dissuade me from wanting to read this. Why's that? It's the writing. The reflection. The detail. In fact, I LOVE that I've HEARD what happened from your actual voice...and now I'm SEEING what happened through your written words.
Your writing is exquisite. In fact, I just linked it to one of my clients (I'm a memoir coach) as an example of how to knock it out of the park.
So, to answer your question, bring on the Dani Shapiro interview and worry not that it might steal any thunder.
Talking about a story and writing about it are two completely different things...and your loyal followers (I'm waving my hand wildly here) are happy to devour both.
Christine, would you be ok if I quoted this (not the part about you sharing with your client) in my post later today when I share (eeeek) the podcast interview with Dani? ❤️
Of course!
Oh!!!! You just made my heart beat wildly!!!!!! Seriously. I’m sitting at Gate E6 getting ready to board a flight and I think I already lifted off.😂 THANK YOU for your skilled and generous feedback. I’m baffled to feel such receptivity and encouragement as I share my story. ❤️
OMG, didn't see that coming!! I guess you didn't either...
"He flew over his bike too—not from the impact of a door but from the sound of my impact and his sudden reaction. / Together, we were right-side up in the upside down. But time and circumstance want to test this delicate balance." - Oh my goodness, that gave chills and aches.
Everything they've all said below.👇🏼
I won't be able to sleep tonight. Just cry. This is way more than a page turner. It's a bloody masterpiece.
Oof. I don't think I can receive this reflection! Not deserved but so very appreciated nevertheless.
Wow. So many parallels. I wonder if your biological father and I ever crossed paths? I was in Madison between 1978-1982. Not likely, I’m sure, but that would be something, wouldn’t it?
Wow is right! I do believe he was there, or near, in those years. And he also did a lot of shows and open mics in Madison during that time.
WOW! You are mesmerizing lady!!! I can see every frame!
OK, finally caught up after an evening of binge reading.
Just wow. I'm completely hooked.
Wow! A full-on Unfixed binge. I woke up to a gazillion notifications this morning in my inbox and thought I must've won the lottery. ;) Thank you for spending some of your Sunday lounging with me. I'm touched that you went in for the deep dive.
Sorry about the notifications. I "like" them as I go to mark my place. And because I like them, of course!
Haha. I LIKE your likes! :)
Ah! Is this THE bike accident? 😭 next Sunday can’t come soon enough!!!!
MORE PLEASE.
Leaves me wanting to turn to another page. If that was your goal, it was a success.
Hooked.
Yay! That's a word I like to hear. ;)
OMG this is a doozy of an episode - the sudden burst of finding info about your father, and then the accident! Dashing right on to the next...