11 Comments
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Alania Starhawk's avatar

Wow! So raw and real. As I walked with you, I felt the anxiety of being stopped morph into the ecstasy of being free. 🙌 I don’t know where you are in life now, but I hope you’re pushing through the edges of resistance and painting the world wildly, in your own unique way. 💙

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Ashley K's avatar

Oh my God, this reminds me so much of myself. I was raised by authoritarian parents, strickly religious and all. At first I went with it , because I'm a mystic at hear, but damn it was so hard when I learned about the occult and my love for it lol I also had a crush on a boy, dare I say it, I loved him. We were friends for years but I never had the courage to say anything and that would be my first silent broken heart. Your article made me feel little more seen and a little more understood.

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Shadow Pursuit's avatar

So glad to hear it, Ashley. I see you 🤗

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Amanda Lynn 👀's avatar

This is so haunting and beautiful. Thank you for sharing!

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Shadow Pursuit's avatar

Thank you, Amanda :)

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Aaron Frith's avatar

This reminds me of my adolescence too. The walk up to the mountain to get to school in North Wales and back down again, to take the dog for a walk. With my MP3 player belting out emo music.

Still something I enjoy, less often due to adult laziness, with my AirPods. Hope you still find that freedom in the woods these days.

Also very much loving the pairing with a song on your posts! I listened to it as I read, it was therapeutic.

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Shadow Pursuit's avatar

Wonderful, I'm glad it is relatable. I've known I was an audiophile since I was a kid, always diving heavily into music. I discovered it then, and it was the second most therapeutic thing I had to nature. I do not have the woods, haven't in years. But I'm working hard to change that.

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Rock Bollinger's avatar

Very nice, I really enjoyed that. “Labelled as something else” - this is a fantastic callback (repetition), especially the final one. Your writing made me feel sad, but I also felt a glimmer of hope in there too. Plenty of beautiful and powerful turns of phrase, a favourite might be the line that begins, “I cannot save you…” Really great writing, and not excessively long, which I appreciated. I’m looking forward to reading more!

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Shadow Pursuit's avatar

Tysm Rob, I appreciate you! 🤗

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Matt MacRae's avatar

Holy smokes! Well damn written! Thank you for trusting us with your pain. This is so real. And thank you for posting the hotlines so others who have walked those same woods along side of you, but you could not see each other; can get the help you both deserved.

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Jul 14
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Shadow Pursuit's avatar

Thanks Intoobus, I appreciate you! Will give a read right now :)

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