The Internet is a great thing for a lot of reasons, but for victims of narcissistic abuse, it’s probably the first time in our lives we ever had a voice, and would be listened to and believed. There are hundreds and probably even thousands of blogs and websites for people who have been victims of narcissistic abuse, either by their families, or at the hands of an abusive spouse, boss, lover, or friend.
The Internet has given us a voice, so now we can not only read and comment on the stories of others who have suffered similar experiences, we can also start our own blogs where we can talk about our own abuse. Before the Internet, who would listen to us, much less believe us? More than likely, we’d be told, “oh, of course your mother/father loves you,” or “Oh, I’m…
“Trendy” emotional distress on social media is part of many must-follow accounts across all platforms. Whether by retweeting the depressing relatability of the So Sad Today Twitter account (at 855,000 followers as of this writing) or commenting the obligatory “same” on a MyTherapistSays Instagram post (currently at 3.6 million). As recently immortalized by a Tim Robinson sketch in I Think You Should Leave, even if you do post pictures where you look cute and happy, it must be accompanied by a self-deprecating caption.
The era of being Sad Online is defined by a sense of reverse FOMO, a tacit agreement to redefine being cool on the internet through JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out) — then file it under social anxiety. It’s possible, though…
For the past two years, I’ve been going to Chimney Rock on my birthday. It’s a perfect way to spend that day.
Chimney Rock is a little village right next to Lake Lure. It’s full of cute shops, restaurants, and all kinds of natural wonders: Chimney Rock itself, which I passed on because it involves taking an elevator through a mountain, a wonderful rocky creek that has places where you can wade and even swim, and the whimsical Bridge of Flowers, which has been there since 2013.
My daughter (who is clean 49 days now!), her hubby, and I walked through the town, stopped for ice cream, and spent about an hour by the creek, sitting on the rocks and wading in the water. Most of these pictures (except the one of DD playing in the creek) are of the Bridge of Flowers, which has every type of plant, aromatic herb, succulent, and flower you can imagine, and tons of artistic and whimsical touches, such as “secret gardens” with brightly painted benches, handmade birdhouses, “doors to nowhere” and old windows repainted in creative ways, colorful gates, paving stones, and lots of other creative touches. It’s maintained by the community, all volunteers.
To truly know the world, look deeply within your own being; to truly know yourself, take real interest in the world. — Rudolf Steiner
I’ve been fascinated by diving for about a year now, but never thought I’d actually want to do it myself. That’s changed now. I really want to try it. I feel like it would be great for my confidence and open doors to new adventures, making life more interesting.
Today I visited a SCUBA diving shop that I’ve always passed on my way to work and never really paid attention to before. The store was filled with customers, but the man inside, David K, who happened to be the owner, greeted me as if he’d been waiting for me. We talked for about 20 minutes or longer. The store doesn’t just sell diving gear, they also offer PADI (the worldwide SCUBA diving organization)training classes, which are held on the weekends. They’re not cheap, but not as expensive as I had feared either. I may be able to afford them next year, after tax time. I have some money stashed away, but I really don’t want to touch that, in case of an emergency.
David seemed eager to have me in one of his classes. I was afraid my age might be a factor, but it isn’t. He says he’s had students up to their 70s and even 80s. He offers group or individual classes, but I’d probably opt for the cheaper group classes, which are small (about 8 people). The course is in three phases: classroom learning and quizzes (you get a book, like in school); practical training in the deep end of a swimming pool at David’s home; and finally, open water experience at Lake Jocassee in northwestern South Carolina (at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains) which has exceptionally clear waters (visibility is high; it’s not dark and murky like most lakes). It’s also exceptionally deep in the middle, at over 300 feet at its deepest, but of course we wouldn’t be diving that deep, since this is a beginning class. We’d only go to about 25 feet for PADI certification (after passing this part of the training, you get your PADI certificate, which qualifies you to dive up to 130 feet at any diving site, not that I’d EVER go that deep!).
I’m really pumped. I’ve decided I’m definitely doing this. I NEED to do this. I feel like I was called to this because it’s something God wants me to do. I have many fears. I always have. Because of my PTSD and general temperament, I spend a lot of time being fearful or apprehensive of things, and although I’m crazily attracted and curious about deep water and its mysteries, it also scares me (thalassophobia — fear of deep water — is probably a healthy fear). I feel like overcoming my apprehension will change my life and make me less fearful in general. I actually told David this, and he didn’t laugh at me or look at me like I was crazy. Instead, he told me the story of one of his students, a veteran who was suffering from PTSD. Taking the class helped him overcome his fears to the point that when he passed the open water test, he burst into tears of gratitude and joy, and is now working on getting advanced certification for divers who want to go deeper than 130 feet.
Jocassee Valley in the early 1970s
I’ve never been in water deeper than 12 feet,and that was in a swimming pool. I’ve never wanted to touch the bottom of the deep end of a swimming pool, because being down that deep just seems spooky to me, but I have no fear of being in deep water and I can tread water for hours. I even taught my children to tread water when they were very young, just three and five. They used water wings at first. Within a month, both could play in the deep part of a swimming pool without any kiddie contrivances (with supervision of course). As for the ocean, as much as I love it, I have never waded out where my head was not above water.
I can’t end this article without including the story of Lake Jocassee. I’d never heard of it until David told me about it yesterday, and its history is fascinating. Jocassee is a large manmade lake nestled in a mountain valley, and it didn’t exist until 1973. It was formed by merging four rivers that used to converge in the Jocassee valley, for the purpose of providing a reservoir for Duke Energy. The town that was in that valley was evacuated before it was flooded, and all its buildings — including a graveyard! — are still there at the deepest part of the lake (almost 350 feet of water covers the town). Oh, and it turns out parts of the movie Deliverance was filmed in the old town before it was flooded!
Advanced divers regularly explore the submerged buildings and the graveyard. Every Halloween, there is even a special graveyard dive (you’ll never get me to go on that!). I read a story about a woman whose childhood home was discovered by divers and was astonished to find out her house was still mostly intact, although now lying on its side. She has become close friends with the divers who found her home. She says they have been the kindest and most compassionate people she ever met. She can barely talk about their respect for her childhood home without choking up.
Here is a video showing divers exploring some of the town’s artifacts.
Just this past week, I read this and this (a video of Fritts’ disgusting sermon calling for the execution of LGBTQ people is linked in the article, if you can stand to watch it). I felt literally sick to my stomach after reading these articles (and watching that awful video) and almost had to vomit.
Fritts, the homophobic police officer, has since been relieved of his duties, but it’s the first article that’s really disturbing. A group of “Christian” preachers are having a “Make America Straight Again” event in Orlando, Florida, in response to “Pride Week.” Last I heard, free speech was still legal in America, so of course people have the right to express homophobic opinions. But what’s really chilling is that one of the preachers leading the event is praying for violence against the LGBTQ community during their Pride events being held in the same city! Not only that, but several of the scheduled speakers will be speaking about their belief in the mass extermination of LGBTQ people. That sounds like something the Nazis or some of the Middle Eastern countries under Sharia Law would do. It chills me to the bone that this sort of thing is becoming increasingly acceptable and normalized here in America.
What kind of person prays for violence or even death against a group that isn’t violent themselves, but who merely have a lifestyle some believe is sinful? A person full of hate and violence, that’s who. Certainly not a follower of Christ.
These are far from the only incidents of blatant homophobia infiltrating the law and politics in this country. Like everything else that’s bad and rotten, it’s gotten worse under Trump. He emboldens homophobia, misogyny, and racism, partly because of his hatred for these groups of people, but it’s also a big part of his efforts to appease the religious right, who apparently believe Trump is their magic genie. They feed his massive ego by diefying him and telling him he’s anointed by God and above the law, and he gives them what they want. Easy peasy. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Trump gives the religious right what they want, and it has nothing to do with him being somehow “God’s chosen” or caring about “morality.” Trump’s lifestyle has been and continues to be one of the most immoral (or is it amoral?) I’ve ever seen, and he’s never shown an ounce of repentance. He’s a hypocrite who does whatever gives him power and wealth. The only fruit he bears is rotten.
True morality isn’t about what women do with their bodies or what gender you’re allowed to love anyway. It’s about the way you treat others. I’m sure Jesus would agree. Every day he showed the most vulnerable people and the marginalized nothing but kindness and acceptance, including the sinners. It was the dominionists of his time — the wealthy and powerful Pharisees who demanded strict obedience in the name of God — that he condemned.
My son is gay. He is also one of the kindest, sweetest, funniest people I have ever known. He has brought so much joy to my life, and the lives of his friends. He is a wonderful, talented, and intelligent human being who is empathetic, has never hurt anyone else intentionally, and who also, like many gay people, struggled emotionally with his sexual identity before he was able to “come out.”
I don’t believe being gay is a choice. No one just wakes up one morning and says, “Gee, I think I want to be gay” (or bi, or transgender, or what have you). I don’t think a gay person can be “cured” any more than a tiger can change its stripes. To think there are so many hateful people in this country — including people with enough political power to change laws — who want him dead or think he’s an abomination because of his sexual preference fills me with existential dread. Now that these homophobic nutjobs have been emboldened by Trump’s “war on political correctness” and open hatred, and his shameless pandering to the religious right in exchange for their financial support and deification of him, I’m actually becoming terrified for my son’s safety.
There are dominionist politicians high in government right now who are packing the courts with far right judges willy nilly, and I’m afraid they may well succeed in their efforts to turn America into a theocracy ruled by biblical (Old Testament) law (the “Christian” version of Sharia law). I hope that if the United States continues in the dark direction it seems to be headed, my son can find a way to leave the country. In the meantime, I pray for his safety. America no longer feels safe.
This was taken looking up at a wooded area that had been partially clearcut to make room for an apartment complex (I took the picture from the parking lot, looking up a steep hill toward the forest). New plants and shrubs hadn’t had a chance to take root in front of the trees, so you found yourself looking deep into the forest. Behind the pale trunks the dark green depths appeared almost black. Adding to the creepiness was the fact a thunderstorm was about to start.
ETA: I iked this enough I decided to make it the new blog cover photo. It was time for a change.
I think it’s relevant to post this again, since we spend so much time online these days. These are trolls that hide in the shadows. Be on guard against them.
In two earlier posts I wrote about online bullies and trolls (not exactly the same thing, but close enough). I won’t explain here how they differ and are the same (you can read the articles which I’ve posted links at the end of this article), but I neglected to mention stealth trolls. Stealth trolls seem benign, but can wreak havoc on web forums and social media. I will describe two types of stealth trolls. There are probably others.
A person who posts on a blog thread, in the guise of “concern,” to disrupt dialogue or undermine morale by pointing out that posters and/or the site may be getting themselves in trouble, usually with an authority or power. They point out problems that don’t really exist. The intent is to derail, stifle, control, the dialogue. It is viewed as insincere…
Lucky Otters Haven 