Bathtime with Rose
You were six,
hit your knee on the bathtub
and started to cry.
“Bad bathtub,” I said.
You say,
That’s silly.
The bathtub didn’t do anything.
“Bad body, then?” I said.
Indignant,
My body’s not bad.
Some people don’t like their body.
I love my body.
Why would anybody hate their body?
When Sharon Salzburg asked
the Dalai Lama about self-hatred,
the interpreter tried several times
to explain the foreign concept.
Unlike his,
your insight
drained with the bathwater.
It’s like that.
That sense of a self,
separate and soiled,
returns again and again.
But it’s nothing
a little soap and water
can’t handle.
Welcome to The Long Unbecoming, a space where I explore what it means to be human, together.
Most of what I share here will be short pieces rooted in everyday moments. But this is more than a writing project for me. It’s a practice of paying attention, of being a little more open about what’s here, and sharing in real time.
Along the way, I’ll also share reflections, occasional mindfulness talks, and invitations to sit together in meditation—especially for those of us who create, struggle with all of this 💁🏼♂️ and try to find our way through, regardless.
I’ll be sharing here regularly and letting it evolve.
If you’re curious about the broader shape of this project and my background, you can find that on the About page.
I’m glad you’re here.