This article at the wonderful Leaving Evidence, explains the concept of access intimacy .
I'm a bit shaken up because when I apply the concept to my own life, I clearly see how lacking my life is in ALL forms of intimacy, not just this one. But access intimacy is something I've certainly experienced in many ways myself and never had a name for. And I feel its a huge area of concern in my closest relationships today.
I am ashamed of the ways I fail to give the kind of access intimacy that author Mia describes. I also am ashamed of even needing this kind of intimacy myself and the hard-heartedness I've come to have about ever having it in my life.... the ability to truly physically drop my guard with another human being and trust them not to harm me or shame me or make some kind of mistake that leaves me feeling ashamed in my own body on some level.
I am ashamed to say I don't think I've ever done this in my life, not even once. Not even close.
I am ashamed of the way I've been acting out for the last 24 hours or so, because I am in so much pain, physically. I am ashamed of the anger I feel that I should be able to say "I am in so much pain" and have that mean something in the way of "let me make it better." I am ashamed that there is no way to make it better and there would be no point of anyone even saying that, and even if they did, I'm ashamed of the further rage I'd feel at their asking me because, alas, there is nothing anybody can do to make it go better any time soon, make the pain go away NOW, TODAY, TOMORROW, SOON, not maybe someday, not even me.
I am ashamed of the hostility I have towards anything that diverts my attention from the needs I can meet: physical needs of having food, water, shelter. Survival. I am ashamed at the way I'm coming to see how completely I've invested in survival as a paradigm, rather than in connection and sharing with others.
I am ashamed that I don't even know if I truly long for connection with others or not or if I just feel guilty for having people in my life who DO long for that and who I know can't get it from me but I continue to let them pine for the day I finally do give in... someday.
I am ashamed.. but I know that this shame is only the first part. It is the beginning of a journey I can choose to take so long as I push thru the shame to whatever it is I'm really afraid of feeling on the other side.
I am ashamed that as meaningful and as much of a breakthru this concept for access intimacy has already been for me.... I know that I'm probably not going to change the way I do things for a while, if at all. If only because I don't see how.... and if it means taking a chance on doing things differently than the way I know for certain keeps me alive... I just don't take that chance.
But maybe.
