It’s weird to write on my own blog after about a year. I write online every day, but after getting hacked, I pretty much went as offline as I possibly could.
In the past year, while the world has gone through the trauma of the pandemic, I’ve been recovering from the trauma of 2017. You might think this is a little delayed, and maybe it is. But fire is hard to recover from, especially the second time.
So, I took the worldwide shutdown as an opportunity to catch up. Here’s what’s happening now.
What is Cocooning?
There are times when I go into hiding. I wouldn’t call it hibernation, because I’m not sleeping. I’m recovering, reforming, and planning how to move on by transforming for the better.
Most importantly, I usually come out a whole new person on the other side.
I call this cocooning because I rarely go out, talk to the outside world, and essentially self-isolate. It’s a time of research, reflection and setting intentions. This was really hard to do pre-pandemic because I had been thrust into the WordPress community not long after my loss.
For me, what happens during a period of cocooning and how long it lasts has always varied. But it seems that as I get older, this time gets longer. Most recently, it’s taken me almost three years.
In any case, it’s almost over now… so here’s what I’ve been doing in hiding.
Recovering is a Long Process
In 2017, I lost everything. The Northern California wildfires burned my possessions, my business, and my relationship. I think I was in denial for at least a full year.
After that came anger.
I’m fairly certain that stage just ended. I can’t share that story here, but let’s just say it’s the last chapter of my memoir… which I’m working on.
Acceptance is last, and I think that’s when I finally start actually “cocooning.”
That’s where I’m at now. Usually in this stage, I write… a lot.
I’ve Been Writing… a LOT
There was a block that I couldn’t place. I could write here and there, come up with amazing imagery… but I wasn’t writing my own work. I was writing only for others.
Now that I’m accepting the losses I endured and the aftermath, writing has come in floods. I only wish I could afford to quit my day job so I can write it all down while it’s still in me.
To break the seal, I started with The Legend of California Man, a ridiculous fictional tale, complete with a podcast version if you prefer to listen instead of read. I’ll finish CA Man after my memoir.
Speaking of my memoir… researching my own past helped me dig up all my old writing. So I also started compiling my poetry into collections.
It’s going to be a wild ride, so be prepared! I have tons of writing coming soon.
Stay Tuned
Since I just recovered this website after essentially taking it offline for a while, there will be some updates! Stick with me, send me your ideas… and most importantly.. Read The Legend of California Man! The first half is available now.
