"Comfortable People Don't Grow And Change."

[wolven7]

So, Erin, my friend and former co-worker, came by the shop, today, and we talked about a lot of things. Erin is getting her Masters in psychology and is currently undertaking an internship as a counselor at Grady Mental Health. She's working with several different groups of patients, all with differnt issues. We talked about pyschological training and I came to a couple of realisations:

1) I've realised that many of the situations which so often make people uncomfortable, or which they label as "awkward" are the situations that I tend to seek out, for myself. Confessions of feelings, so-called "TMI," having a sex dream about someone and then running into them, later in the day? I relish these things. They're really great ground for some fruitful self-actualisations, and that kind of thing makes me happy. As we talked, Erin asked if I liked the situations, or if I was just capable of seeing the positive potential that the situations can offer, and I think it's the latter, but has been for so long that it's transmuted into the former. They're inextricably linked, now.

See also Amanda Fucking Palmer's Most Recent Blog Post.

2) The reason that psychology is so attractive to me is that I have what could easily be termed "damage," and I think that investigating the psychological discipline would really allow me to get a firm handle on that.

I have so many questions for so many people, and I just want to know: Can I ask you anything? Is absolutely any and everything up for me to ask, and have you answer? What are our borders, what are our boundaries?

This also leads to thinking about the nature of your own privacy...

Rebekah also came in to visit, and is realising, more and more, that I am terrible for her productivity. Too often, I have things on my mind, and want to talk about them. Oddly enough, though, today was not my doing. I introduced her to Erin, then they talked about addiction, mental illness, and agency for a while.

Really wasn't in the mood for much by way of conversation, for a lot of today. Hard to motivate myself to give a shit. Had to force myself to realise that that's not how I wanted to go into the day. Got better...

I should really go do the dishes and then go to bed. It's getting late...

Comments

[lupagreenwolf.livejournal.com]

The reason that psychology is so attractive to me is that I have what could easily be termed "damage," and I think that investigating the psychological discipline would really allow me to get a firm handle on that.

Heh. You know that whole thing that if you get a bunch of psychology students drunk they'll tell you they got into psychology to figure themselves out? It's so true.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

I know! Every single one of them! ^_^

[raidingparty.livejournal.com]

I'm too honest for my own good, so... probably.

I won't tell you where I keep the device, for example (unless one of the beasts has me and you're close to it), or my checking account numbers, or whatnot.

I will totally tell you about that dream I had about a bunch of my friends encouraging me to sex up one classmate (now in New York) and being separated from her, and her somehow turning into someone we both know and his girlfriend encouraging the sex and being tickled pink at the idea because she thinks the manlove is hawt.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

That's pretty funny, that one.

[smartlikeatruck.livejournal.com]

My mother has secrets. My best friend has secrets. My lovers have had secrets.

Because I am a secret-keeper, I have none of my own. Even my deepest darkest fears ahve been whispered into some ear or another, written down, shouted into the wind.

I will answer any question, so long as it does not betray another's confidence.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Exactly this.

Thank you.

[raoin.livejournal.com]

ask me anything. i'm willing to be completely honest.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Good to know.

[karishi.livejournal.com]

I think we're good, as long as you keep the information confidential (if it's about the inner workings of my head, or otherwise "personal").

Here's a neat one: I've never, ever had a sex dream. As far as I remember, nothing erotic has happened in any dream I've had. My brain apparently doesn't opt to go there without my consciousness.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Good good.

[satans-muse.livejournal.com]

Firstly, thank you for this post, and for the link to Amanda Palmer's blog.

You see, I am a girl who tells the world TMI on a daily basis. I keep personal hygeine or "female" issues to myself because oftentimes, people don't want to really hear how bad this month's period has been... but the big things in my life? My ongoing struggle with alcoholism, my fears, my hopes, the "baggage" of my past relationships and choices I have made... these things I have always been willing to discuss with people.

I don't understand myself at all and in order for me to understand events that have occurred or why I react certain ways to seemingly innocent situations, I need to put it down into words and that is why my lj posts are generally lengthy - I am learning as I am sharing. You have no idea how many lj epiphanies I have had about my life... haha

I have a few suspicions as to why I can share all these 'brave' stories where I illustrate in graphic detail all the horrible things I have done but I cannot for the life of me confront someone else about their bad behaviour, even when it is completely warranted because no matter what they have done, I always assume it is in retaliation to something I've done wrong.

I have a couple of very bad relationships to thank for that, but I guess I do thank them for it in some ways. If that is the reason I am not scared to face the truth of my alcoholism and show the world how easily it can happen to an average kid in an average aussie household... well, it was probably worth it.

Either way, I dont think there are many questions that you could ask me that I wouldn't answer - as smartlikeatruck said, as long as it doesn't betray another's confidence, I will answer it.

(this post has me so excited. there are so many things i'd love to just chat about with you!)

[wolven.livejournal.com]

I like that you make the lengthy posts, and I try to read them all, even when I don't comment, because I do the same thing: LJ epiphanies. So damn useful.

I'm online almost all of the time. Feel free to talk to me about anything.

[l-the-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Yes. Whether I answer is another story, but I will not be offended by any question you ask.