Welcome to another Podcast of Songs and Stories from Home
In this podcast we will be listening to a Campfire Chronicle from One of Those Times in a Life. Many of the Campfire Chronicles were created around songs I’ve written – this one –the 10th of 49 - used the song “I Believe” – and was first shared 8 years ago. It is significant because it was in this Chronicle that I spoke publicly for the first time ever about my dad’s stay in a mental institution – about some of my personal struggles –touching as well on the affects – sometimes devastating – of secrets – maybe especially those passed down through generations – as I listened again to the Chronicle I remembered how emotional I was as it was being created – how anxious I was just before and after it went public –I think there was a part of me that believed the world might end by my sharing such secrets – there was another part of me that hoped a new world might suddenly magically appear - the reality was that nothing dramatic really happened –over time, however, I began to realize how important it was to no longer hold those secrets and eventually on some deep abiding level how much more free I began to feel – as well as how much more secure – somehow by sharing what felt like the shameful parts – that I could finally and fully love myself for who I truly was – and so finally and fully love others for who they truly were – I got emotional as I listened again– especially at the end when I describe what I would tell my 22 year old self even though I knew he wasn’t in a place to hear me–I would tell him that he was going to be okay – that it wasn’t going to be easy – and I wanted him to know that I would be waiting for him -
