Not only do I love your analysis, but I love the way that we can always PROCLAIM something and then the next week, full-throatedly proclaim its opposite as well. Absolutely NOT problematic. Evidence of holding our own fullness. With enthusiasm!
You are downright crazy and it’s just lovely! Ego and spirit, in between those we exist. To be one sided is not being truly alive. We are an Italian wedding soup! Full of different stuff, delicious though. It’s breathing in and out, we have two sides of the brain, we have man and spirit.
Who is this person who thinks that containing multitudes is disingenuous?
This is a beautiful reflection of past musings. Getting to know ourselves. One essay at a time.
No one is one thing, and whoever claims so just doesn't know himself/herself well enough. These aren't contradictions; they are the spectra of being. Thanks for this exposition of the self, Caroline.
I never once thought your contrasts were strange. Part of the excitement and joy of discovering a person…is discovering all the facets that are chosen to face a particular day, mood, circumstance. Why play just one note when you can command a symphony? Give me the C and E majors, give me the allegro but I especially want the F and D minors, the lacrimoso too. People have forgotten/snuffed out what it means and feels like to be human in the world. We are sentient beings with wonderful complexity and simplicity. I need both and everything in between to feel fulfillment. Thank you for reminding us. I’m buckled up and I AMMMM READY TO PAAAARTY!!!!! 💗
Imagining a one note symphony and I’m TURNED OFF!!!
All these comments have me thinking…I’m very willing to accept multiple sides of others when I think they are quirky, cute or interesting. The second they show something unsavory, I push them away. And yet I’m asking them to view my darkness as but a part…I’ve got some real work to do.
(I desperately want to insert the great Bette Davis gif about fastening seatbelts, but not an option 😭)
Interesting! The joys of getting to know ourselves and deciding what kind of person we want to be. So much work and so much fun. We are building little master pieces one choice, action, intention, connection at a time. Weeeee!
Great stuff Caroline. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the joy that comes from serving others, but in itself that joy has a self-serving aspect attached. (I’m doing this good thing for someone else to feel good myself.) But I think in the end we are all here to help each other and we should get joy from that. Schadenfreude is finding pleasure in other’s misfortunes…is there a word for finding personal joy in the act of helping others? If not, you should create one.
This is the type of writing that is in my eyes the most pure of all types.I prefer to say alot with the least of words possible.Interpretations by others would be more close to the essence of what i am.The few first lines,i already saw you 👏.
Patience and leaving room inbetween what you say,do or write,does help easing into yourself regardless of any situation.I like to say being selfcentered 🤣😉
Words limit expression.Those that should approach the inner state as being fluid, often put it in boxes,and labeled in the Manual of Mental Ilnesses 😁😆.Wordplay instead of foreplay 😭
wow Caroline. your writing always blows me away, and this is my favorite piece you’ve written to date! your contradictions create such richness and beauty and downright humanness in your work, which i think is exactly what the world needs more of.
when you write about balance i was reminded of the way my mentor taught me about balance - it’s not the the “idealized middle” where the boat doesn’t rock - it’s being able to go to the extremes of the spectrum, to taste the highs and the lows - and also to return to center with a greater capacity and understanding. expansion and contraction. which is also the way all movement works. the interplay of opposing forces. it’s a great reminder that this is the natural state of the body and that “homeostasis” is not static, but a constant play of expansion and contraction
Faye, I love this comment so much! It brings me such joy!! And thank for you pointing out that balance for me doesn’t have to look like any one thing…I get hung up too easily on comparing myself.
This made me think of the line..'you can only know someone so much..'
I'm not sure where I heard that one but it must be in a TV-show somewhere 😊
I totally agree, "We all have distinct, compartmentalized personas that emerge based on our needs, environments, and emotional landscapes.." and we can know only those specific compartments that we encounter or interact with. Great share Caroline.
"I find solace in reading Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings on mindfulness and peace, yet I'm not above unleashing a torrent of curses when caught in traffic."
So true, so true! I love his writings as well, and ironically, and maybe not so much, he is the one who helped me to befriend my anger, to not deny it, but to sit with it like it was my little sister and listen to its ranting and rages and tears. Made a significant change in my relationship to my anger, an important one which consisted of embracing it, not trying to silence it, and welcoming it back home within me. ❤️
I love this!! I notice too that I don’t always feel the impact of him until later. He bares his truth simply and I don’t feel the profoundness until it sinks to a deeper level within.
We’re doing many things, we are NOT silencing ourselves!! 🤍
As my kid likes to snarkily say to me: “keep it together, man.” We’re all just a few strands away from the center not holding, but the miracle of civilization is that most of the time, we do keep it together.
“My body, my soul are elastic enough to hold it all. Elastic enough to let tenderness and rigidity, modesty and vanity, avarice and generosity mingle freely.”
I love this so much Caroline. I too struggle with fitting the facets of myself together and I sometimes feel that some people in my life know me as a completely different person than how I am to others. I can definitely relate to reserving the “Wednesday side” for your inner circle.
It’s good to know there are other people who reflect on their contradictory personalities aside from myself!
Your writing is just stunning and gets right to the heart of it. ❣️
It is normal to have different sides to who we are.
This helps us deal with different situations in life. It's good to accept all these parts of ourselves. It does not mean we're fake - it just shows we're complex people. A great essay Caroline :-).
Your comment resulted in a thought running through my head — there’s parts of us that are wary of complexity. We want easy. And maybe that’s why I didn’t always equally value my different selves. Thank you 😊
Not only do I love your analysis, but I love the way that we can always PROCLAIM something and then the next week, full-throatedly proclaim its opposite as well. Absolutely NOT problematic. Evidence of holding our own fullness. With enthusiasm!
I need to work on that more. Sometimes, I feel like I take life too seriously. It's good to be learning every day with you, girls.
The feeling is mutual!!
Because we’re always shifting!!! And that’s proof we’re living, right?
Thank you ☺️
You are downright crazy and it’s just lovely! Ego and spirit, in between those we exist. To be one sided is not being truly alive. We are an Italian wedding soup! Full of different stuff, delicious though. It’s breathing in and out, we have two sides of the brain, we have man and spirit.
Who is this person who thinks that containing multitudes is disingenuous?
This is a beautiful reflection of past musings. Getting to know ourselves. One essay at a time.
May we live in the balance of both.
Peace be with you friend
Haha I love this!! And our crazy selves! Here’s to carrying our Truths no matter what they look like! 🤍🤍🤍
No one is one thing, and whoever claims so just doesn't know himself/herself well enough. These aren't contradictions; they are the spectra of being. Thanks for this exposition of the self, Caroline.
Thank you!!! 😊
Hahahaha!!!
That drawing is hilarious.
I never once thought your contrasts were strange. Part of the excitement and joy of discovering a person…is discovering all the facets that are chosen to face a particular day, mood, circumstance. Why play just one note when you can command a symphony? Give me the C and E majors, give me the allegro but I especially want the F and D minors, the lacrimoso too. People have forgotten/snuffed out what it means and feels like to be human in the world. We are sentient beings with wonderful complexity and simplicity. I need both and everything in between to feel fulfillment. Thank you for reminding us. I’m buckled up and I AMMMM READY TO PAAAARTY!!!!! 💗
Imagining a one note symphony and I’m TURNED OFF!!!
All these comments have me thinking…I’m very willing to accept multiple sides of others when I think they are quirky, cute or interesting. The second they show something unsavory, I push them away. And yet I’m asking them to view my darkness as but a part…I’ve got some real work to do.
(I desperately want to insert the great Bette Davis gif about fastening seatbelts, but not an option 😭)
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Interesting! The joys of getting to know ourselves and deciding what kind of person we want to be. So much work and so much fun. We are building little master pieces one choice, action, intention, connection at a time. Weeeee!
🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️
Look at us doing the damn thing!!!!
Great stuff Caroline. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the joy that comes from serving others, but in itself that joy has a self-serving aspect attached. (I’m doing this good thing for someone else to feel good myself.) But I think in the end we are all here to help each other and we should get joy from that. Schadenfreude is finding pleasure in other’s misfortunes…is there a word for finding personal joy in the act of helping others? If not, you should create one.
I think there’s a selfishness sometimes. But I also agree with you, a lot of time people are just out here doing good because we’re inherently good.
Haha creating a world is a lot of pressure but I will try!!
Kindness?
Yep, you got us!
Niceness is its deceptive cousin, that we find in ourselves at times, I think.
This is the type of writing that is in my eyes the most pure of all types.I prefer to say alot with the least of words possible.Interpretations by others would be more close to the essence of what i am.The few first lines,i already saw you 👏.
Patience and leaving room inbetween what you say,do or write,does help easing into yourself regardless of any situation.I like to say being selfcentered 🤣😉
I’m moved by this, Jamie! Thank you so much. And we’re all self-centered 🤣
Words limit expression.Those that should approach the inner state as being fluid, often put it in boxes,and labeled in the Manual of Mental Ilnesses 😁😆.Wordplay instead of foreplay 😭
These words are fantastic, Jamie!
Much thanked for 😁
wow Caroline. your writing always blows me away, and this is my favorite piece you’ve written to date! your contradictions create such richness and beauty and downright humanness in your work, which i think is exactly what the world needs more of.
when you write about balance i was reminded of the way my mentor taught me about balance - it’s not the the “idealized middle” where the boat doesn’t rock - it’s being able to go to the extremes of the spectrum, to taste the highs and the lows - and also to return to center with a greater capacity and understanding. expansion and contraction. which is also the way all movement works. the interplay of opposing forces. it’s a great reminder that this is the natural state of the body and that “homeostasis” is not static, but a constant play of expansion and contraction
Faye, I love this comment so much! It brings me such joy!! And thank for you pointing out that balance for me doesn’t have to look like any one thing…I get hung up too easily on comparing myself.
Thank you for showing me another way!
This made me think of the line..'you can only know someone so much..'
I'm not sure where I heard that one but it must be in a TV-show somewhere 😊
I totally agree, "We all have distinct, compartmentalized personas that emerge based on our needs, environments, and emotional landscapes.." and we can know only those specific compartments that we encounter or interact with. Great share Caroline.
Yes!! Like we think we know people but they’ve exited before and after and outside of us…that’s what keeps everything interesting.
Thank you 😊
"I find solace in reading Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings on mindfulness and peace, yet I'm not above unleashing a torrent of curses when caught in traffic."
So true, so true! I love his writings as well, and ironically, and maybe not so much, he is the one who helped me to befriend my anger, to not deny it, but to sit with it like it was my little sister and listen to its ranting and rages and tears. Made a significant change in my relationship to my anger, an important one which consisted of embracing it, not trying to silence it, and welcoming it back home within me. ❤️
I love this!! I notice too that I don’t always feel the impact of him until later. He bares his truth simply and I don’t feel the profoundness until it sinks to a deeper level within.
We’re doing many things, we are NOT silencing ourselves!! 🤍
As my kid likes to snarkily say to me: “keep it together, man.” We’re all just a few strands away from the center not holding, but the miracle of civilization is that most of the time, we do keep it together.
Haha I love this. Thank you 😊
“My body, my soul are elastic enough to hold it all. Elastic enough to let tenderness and rigidity, modesty and vanity, avarice and generosity mingle freely.”
That’s beautiful, Caroline! ❤️
Thank you 🙏
I love this so much Caroline. I too struggle with fitting the facets of myself together and I sometimes feel that some people in my life know me as a completely different person than how I am to others. I can definitely relate to reserving the “Wednesday side” for your inner circle.
It’s good to know there are other people who reflect on their contradictory personalities aside from myself!
Your writing is just stunning and gets right to the heart of it. ❣️
Yes!!! We’re all doing it. None of us are alone 🤍
Just discovering your writing. I too felt within the first few lines I’ve found a kindred spirit.
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings. - Wendell berry
This is such a wonderful comment to wake up to. Thank you so much for being here 😊
She 👏🏼 is 👏🏼 all 👏🏼 the 👏🏼 things
Woot woot!!
It is normal to have different sides to who we are.
This helps us deal with different situations in life. It's good to accept all these parts of ourselves. It does not mean we're fake - it just shows we're complex people. A great essay Caroline :-).
Your comment resulted in a thought running through my head — there’s parts of us that are wary of complexity. We want easy. And maybe that’s why I didn’t always equally value my different selves. Thank you 😊
We are far more complex than the mere layers we perceive in ourselves. Your irreverence remains as refreshing as ever, Caroline! ✨
Thank you, thank you, thank you, my friend 🤍