It’s not obvious, but I’m standing on top of a big slippery tree in this photo. Why? Because I’m a monkey, and trees lure me. I want to climb. I want to swing. I want to engage with nature. I want to practice balancing. I want to remember that it’s okay to fall. Ah, I like that–my permission to fall down!
I know how crucial it is to risk landing on my butt. I was born breach. And I spent the first half my life trying to land on my feet, trying to be what I thought was “normal” and avoid embarrassment. That was my worst fear. I could handle the fall, as long as nobody saw me stumble.
So, you can imagine how grateful I am, as I stumble and fall publicly, to know that it’s okay. And what makes it more than okay, is the learning. The bounce is commensurate with the force of the fall.
I’m not defending the fall. I’m using it as well as I know how. And I’m seeking third-party objectivity. Smiling, too, at the generosity and kindness of humans. I am neither victor, nor martyr. But I’ve discovered that being true to myself can look like a bloodbath.… More