Lift maintenance. Please hold. Your call is important ...

[harker]

I stepped into a lift one day and a voice said 'Press D'. 'What's D for?', I asked, instinctively. Looking around, I saw a small speaker set in the steel wall. The voice came from there. D is for diagnosis', it said. 'Silly. Go on, press it, you ordered the blood test. You can’t back out now.' Ten months later, I was still stuck in the lift. 'OK, press R' and you’re out of here. 'R?' 'R is for remission - slow coach!' I pressed R and the doors opened. I stepped out, into an empty lobby. I wondered where I was. Still do.

[artist_in_recov]

Hi Harker - you write well, I always found it a cathartic practice when I was in the process of diagnosis, treatment and all the horrid stages that followed. I do indeed have many more - probably too many! I'll try and put a few in my blog here for you - some are a bit self-indulgent, but I suppose that's part of the experience. How old are you Harker and where are you from?

[harker]

I'm 54 years old. I live in Melbourne. I'm wondering now about why I'm not using my real name. How do you feel about that? I am very interested in how writing can be a part of recovery - not a therapy in itself, but a therapeutic experience - cathartic, as you accurately call it. Interesting things can happen. I liked your poem. My real name is Hugh. I want to share creatively, but not with an on-line facade. You don't have to agree. I want to keep this going, either way. Cheers. Hugh Kiernan

[artist_in_recov]

Hi Hugh, You make some very valid points. I think the whole point of giving yourself a different username is all about maintaining some sort of anonimity in the "online world" - but certainly I'll send you my email via the private message function on this site and we can continue discussing the benefits of writing.

[harker]

Thank you 'artist in recovery'. I do like that.