Reflections of a childhood
Houdini books Fruit brandy brewing in my closetWhy not in their closet?Floor heater gratebranding my little brother’s feetMirrors in the hall and bathroomtoo high up to see meMirror in my room, stay awaySewing classesCheerleaders blaspheming and...
The Girl Who Loved Her Father Like Salt
A story from my childhood... This was a book that was read many, many times as a child.Mom read books with my older brother and me, we were on the floor.We did not connect with each other or her, we did not look at the pictures.We did not touch.The father asked how...
Joy in the Brushstrokes
Last week, someone asked me what I do for a living. I braced myself and said, “I write for a consulting firm.” I sensed their stilted reaction and backpedaled. “I’m just glad I get paid to write.” They cleared their throat. “I knew someone with a 9 to 5 once.” He knew...
Acknowledging Racial Trauma
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Hair
Monique J.
ACA Works on Internalized Racism
I’m a Filipina-American, with nine years in ACA. I did not grow up with alcoholism, drug addiction, or mental illness. I did grow up with immigrant trauma, intergenerational colonialist trauma, internalized racism, and a resulting set of stressed out hard-working...
Gas Plant Community
Carlos L. Gas Plant Community Carlos L.
Reflections on Crosstalk
For me, this sacred element has been the single most important tenet of this program. Crosstalk absolutely hinders my recovery no matter how benign. I had my feelings, thoughts co-opted in childhood and in my closest relationships as an adult, in the name of...
My Story
My story begins in 1975 in an old told of Louisiana when I was three years old. I was a child of the consummation of Ralph retired US Navy, unattended military PTSD captain, and Pam vietnamese refugee Codependent mother of 5 children foreigner to US, naturalized...
Lush Life
In college, I majored in Voice, but my studies took a backseat to a steady diet of cocktails and cigarettes. The school’s music program had a distinguished opera faculty that took the train from Manhattan to Poughkeepsie each week to give us lessons. I didn't care...