Shame and guilt are two millstones we carry throughout our life. In our internal landscape, demons amplify these emotions to create a sense of worthlessness.
To speak these dark secrets to another and have them accept our failings ("sins") unconditionally is THE path to redemption. In this, the Catholic church stands head and shoulders above other religions; a good priest creates a holy space of love and acceptance. Into that space gets poured the darkness, which dissolves in the healing light of love.
A modern analogy might be a therapist. But an intellectual discussion may fail to hit the mark.
My father died one year ago tomorrow. He was a quiet, yet devout Catholic. Tomorrow I will make a confession. I have been returning, slowly, to the church, the original sanctuary of the soul.
Thank you for a thought provoking piece. I look forward to the next one.
This always makes my day to watch someone do this!! 🤩 I’m so excited for you, and to see what you share with us!
I did grow up Catholic and if I’d ever spoken the truth to any of those old men--some crotchety and judgmental, some kind but paternally chastising for things I didn’t feel were wrong but I knew the church would expect me to confess because I was female and therefore the origin of all sin--if I’d spoken what was in my mind and heart, I would have been excommunicated. Because religion lost me when I was 7 when I asked deep, unanswerable questions of adults who were horrified and outraged at my little chirping logic, debate and philosophizing. 🤪
Therefore I muzzled. *Everything.* Northern MN in the 70s as a female neurodivergent artist?! Yeah. Everything. The only way I could express my true self was in writing I never let anyone read, and in dance. Silent. Masked (but not at all). Raw kinetic communication that could be interpreted any number of ways, and denied with a casual smile if interrogated.
Taking the choke chain, muzzle, and gazillion masks off with my old blog 7 years ago was the most terrifying, liberating and exhilarating thing I’ve ever done. It still is, every time I go a level deeper. It’s what I’m migrating here to Substack, as well as all the stories I never got to share, so I’m super excited to see someone else devoted to doing this scary thing. So worth it! And so needed in this selfie, photoshopped, AI generated world. No wonder I always love your writing. Congrats! Can’t wait to watch the unveiling.
I resonate fully my friend. My first full confession came 14 years ago when I did my first AA 5th step with my sponsor. Brutal. And powerfully liberating.
I say first because I’ve done mini 5th steps along the way since then, including my writing. Good on ya. It’s cleansing.
“We work in the dark—we do what we can—we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.” (Henry James)
Passionate piece. Kudos to your courage. It will give others an invitation to do the same.
Thanks for blessing us with this great piece, Latham!
Sometimes I save your pieces because an inkling in the back of my mind tells me I’ll need them later. Today became that day. As I read your words, I felt an explosion of thrill at the prospect of confession. And I can’t tell if it’s because of the unmasking itself OR the urge to do something wrong that would, thus, necessitate said unmasking. The latter is very intriguing! I also REALLY needed Lamott’s one inch frame reminder as I am currently being crushed by analysis paralysis in my own project. I’ve got a Sunday that’s free, all to myself, and I woke up with a blaring alarm in my head DO SOMETHING. One inch, Katie, breathe.
Well said, Latham. A courageous beginning.
Shame and guilt are two millstones we carry throughout our life. In our internal landscape, demons amplify these emotions to create a sense of worthlessness.
To speak these dark secrets to another and have them accept our failings ("sins") unconditionally is THE path to redemption. In this, the Catholic church stands head and shoulders above other religions; a good priest creates a holy space of love and acceptance. Into that space gets poured the darkness, which dissolves in the healing light of love.
A modern analogy might be a therapist. But an intellectual discussion may fail to hit the mark.
My father died one year ago tomorrow. He was a quiet, yet devout Catholic. Tomorrow I will make a confession. I have been returning, slowly, to the church, the original sanctuary of the soul.
Thank you for a thought provoking piece. I look forward to the next one.
This always makes my day to watch someone do this!! 🤩 I’m so excited for you, and to see what you share with us!
I did grow up Catholic and if I’d ever spoken the truth to any of those old men--some crotchety and judgmental, some kind but paternally chastising for things I didn’t feel were wrong but I knew the church would expect me to confess because I was female and therefore the origin of all sin--if I’d spoken what was in my mind and heart, I would have been excommunicated. Because religion lost me when I was 7 when I asked deep, unanswerable questions of adults who were horrified and outraged at my little chirping logic, debate and philosophizing. 🤪
Therefore I muzzled. *Everything.* Northern MN in the 70s as a female neurodivergent artist?! Yeah. Everything. The only way I could express my true self was in writing I never let anyone read, and in dance. Silent. Masked (but not at all). Raw kinetic communication that could be interpreted any number of ways, and denied with a casual smile if interrogated.
Taking the choke chain, muzzle, and gazillion masks off with my old blog 7 years ago was the most terrifying, liberating and exhilarating thing I’ve ever done. It still is, every time I go a level deeper. It’s what I’m migrating here to Substack, as well as all the stories I never got to share, so I’m super excited to see someone else devoted to doing this scary thing. So worth it! And so needed in this selfie, photoshopped, AI generated world. No wonder I always love your writing. Congrats! Can’t wait to watch the unveiling.
All writing is confession, don’t you think?
Loved this piece Latham and can’t wait to follow along with your confessions series. Really inspiring.
I’ve just begun to learn how speaking and writing, making it visible and concrete, takes away all its power over me.
Moving on always seems to be a matter of finding a name for the thing happening to me.
I resonate fully my friend. My first full confession came 14 years ago when I did my first AA 5th step with my sponsor. Brutal. And powerfully liberating.
I say first because I’ve done mini 5th steps along the way since then, including my writing. Good on ya. It’s cleansing.
In service of truth. That's it.
“We work in the dark—we do what we can—we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.” (Henry James)
Passionate piece. Kudos to your courage. It will give others an invitation to do the same.
Thanks for blessing us with this great piece, Latham!
The 5th step in AA is all about unburdening to another person. Maybe look there...
Sometimes I save your pieces because an inkling in the back of my mind tells me I’ll need them later. Today became that day. As I read your words, I felt an explosion of thrill at the prospect of confession. And I can’t tell if it’s because of the unmasking itself OR the urge to do something wrong that would, thus, necessitate said unmasking. The latter is very intriguing! I also REALLY needed Lamott’s one inch frame reminder as I am currently being crushed by analysis paralysis in my own project. I’ve got a Sunday that’s free, all to myself, and I woke up with a blaring alarm in my head DO SOMETHING. One inch, Katie, breathe.