I
have a friend I haven't seen for awhile, who let it be known, after a year or
so of friendship, that they had been part of The Family. At first I wasn't certain what they meant, and then I got it. The more I understood, the more they told me what it was like.
Being
addicted to risk taking behavior is something we don't always realize can
happen. It's like we compartmentalize, often trauma, sometimes just unwieldy
childhoods, until we are one person in most of life, and the other in some
instances. We all do this to some degree; some more than others.
I saw
this mild mannered middle aged person be kind and thoughtful and easy about all
sorts of things, and then once or twice, when we were talking about things that
really upset them, they kind of blossomed....into a very powerful charismatic
person...who you would think twice about messing with.
Months later, I mentioned to them how cool it would be if, with EMDR and EFT and awareness, they could slowly infuse their waking normal self they walked around with...with the oh so powerful direct charismatic aspects that were kept hidden away.
Months later, I mentioned to them how cool it would be if, with EMDR and EFT and awareness, they could slowly infuse their waking normal self they walked around with...with the oh so powerful direct charismatic aspects that were kept hidden away.
With
reflection, I realized that we all do this...somehow compartmentalize parts of
us away to be polite, to be acceptable, to be accepted, and because we don't
really know how to be an ok person, while letting the lion out of the cage. But
see how full of self we become, when we begin.
Sometimes they would talk about working with young people at their job; how the kids would think they were so cool and dangerous and right on the edge. Now and then this person would let out the lion, just quietly, and the kids would sit back in shock, that kind of shock of seeing the real thing.
Other times in their work, a 'wise guy' would come in, and after awhile, would begin to recognize them. Asking telling questions. And they'd have to explain that they retired. Let 'the life' go. Which I didn't realize one could do, but what did I know? And besides, I asked them how that was...so they explained the how and when and ifs.
Once someone near and dear to me had a real problem with risk taking behaviors, and a certain illegal handgun and semi automatic, both of which I came upon by accident. But when you know someone like this person, you can give them a call and then meet up for tea and ask what the hell to do, and they'll set it all out in front of you, clearly.
They'd often go to GA meetings, which are quite popular with The Family, of course, as the gambling comes hand in hand with the addiction to risk and danger and power. They'd bump into all their old friends, and talk about old times, and come away with their Italian somehow all spruced up.
But more often, they learned to stay away. From the life. They had learned to go about normally, without all the fancy stuff and the fanfare and the notoriety and the extraordinary power.
Sometimes they would talk about working with young people at their job; how the kids would think they were so cool and dangerous and right on the edge. Now and then this person would let out the lion, just quietly, and the kids would sit back in shock, that kind of shock of seeing the real thing.
Other times in their work, a 'wise guy' would come in, and after awhile, would begin to recognize them. Asking telling questions. And they'd have to explain that they retired. Let 'the life' go. Which I didn't realize one could do, but what did I know? And besides, I asked them how that was...so they explained the how and when and ifs.
Once someone near and dear to me had a real problem with risk taking behaviors, and a certain illegal handgun and semi automatic, both of which I came upon by accident. But when you know someone like this person, you can give them a call and then meet up for tea and ask what the hell to do, and they'll set it all out in front of you, clearly.
They'd often go to GA meetings, which are quite popular with The Family, of course, as the gambling comes hand in hand with the addiction to risk and danger and power. They'd bump into all their old friends, and talk about old times, and come away with their Italian somehow all spruced up.
But more often, they learned to stay away. From the life. They had learned to go about normally, without all the fancy stuff and the fanfare and the notoriety and the extraordinary power.
And
live the quiet life of a mere mortal instead. And get this; this person was a woman.
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