I still step into the lives of others, as a story catcher, a psychiatrist. The concerns of the storyteller become my concerns. The storyteller’s narratives have driven my passion for therapy, teaching, my research, and more recently, for writing. What an honor to be able to help others who have suffered from the same conditions that have affected my own life: PTSD and learning disabilities.
I learned to climb up and down our four-story apartment—had to—to escape harm and to survey my neighborhood from the rooftops. I still climb, my lifelong habit, a vertical meditation that offers a fresh perspective on my life and our world.
Since reading and writing have never come easily for me, I didn’t think these activities were meant for me. But when my kids encountered the complexities of adolescence, I began journaling. It grew on me, and I dared to nudge myself further into literary territory. Now I can’t seem to stop writing. Or reading. Nor do I want to.
Fletcher with Tacoma Mountain Rescue members
Climbing granite in Squamish, BC, Canada.
