This post is about several things. It’s about Parenting an ADHDer. It’s about the life of a writer. It’s about the mantra from Austin Kleon to, show your work. As Kleon writes, “…it’s important to get things in front of other and see how they react.” It is, I confess, a little bit scary to share this. I recorded it a few weeks ago (thank you IMRSV Sound) and I’ve been sitting on it because, well, there are risks to sharing something so personal – you might not like it, you might judge my parenting, my writing, you might think my audio isn’t up to snuff, and you might have opinions about oh so many other things. I’ve been in turmoil for the last few days… post it, don’t post it. There are an equal number of reasons for me to share it and to not share it. But, in the end, living a creative life is about about believing in yourself and taking risks in the hope that a piece of this resonates with you. You can listen (transcript here) to Chapter Nine, Unmoored: The Betty L, here. Scroll down a bit to see the photograph mentioned in the chapter:
About the Project
Shipwrecks defined my father’s career; his long absences to remote salvage jobs shaped my childhood and, ultimately, our relationship. Now in my 50s, I dig through the records of my father’s work in the South China Sea, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Cape Cod, and San Francisco Bay, to better understand his work and forge a closer bond with him. In the process, I find surprising insights into
my relationship with Owen, my teenage son struggling with ADHD. Offering an unflinching account of my role as a daughter, wife, and mother, I expose my blind spots and share my hard-won insights. Salvaged shows the journey to intergenerational love, understanding, and acceptance through the unique lens of maritime disaster and recovery. Read more about the project here.