Mending 10: origins
Welcome to mending, a monthly haven where words meet inner wisdom, and stories intertwine with the art of health and healing.
At the heart of Narrative Medicine is a belief in the power of the human story. Words, among other human expressions, have the ability to enlighten and connect us to our most vulnerable or even seemingly insignificant moments in life.
These moments speak volumes to the richness of our humanity. And in sharing your words you support the production of neurochemicals like dopamine and oxytocin that activate your body’s healing potential and your brain’s capacities to overcome challenges in ways that cannot be understated.
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Your expression is where we find the intersection of Narrative Medicine and Functional Nutrition: in the recognition that everything is connected, we are all unique, and all things matter.
Each monthly issue of mending is a journey into a landscape of words, healing, and personal interpretation. They will be inspired by the gentle wisdom of poets and artists and the reflective insights of our guest contributors.
Why does this matter? Because in the riddle of healthcare, amidst the supposed precision of diagnoses and treatments, the human story often whispers, seeking to be heard. mending leans in and listens to these whispers. It invites you to do the same for yourself.
It’s time to explore the depths of your own narrative and the fabric of your human condition, beyond your signs and symptoms, or maybe in concert with them. Join me as we weave together threads of empathy, inquiry, and understanding. mending is more than a newsletter— it’s a dialogue, and initiation, and a celebration of the stories that make us human, illuminating their integral role in our paths toward healing.
Mending 10: origins with Alex Howard
The Birthday Interviews
by Derrick Austin
Mom said, I want to name him Patrick. Dad said,
He looks like a frog. The moon said, waning
crescent. The thermostat said, It’s South Florida.
Cumulonimbus clouds were not in attendance.
Mosquitos said, sugar of life. The night said, Welcome
young blood. Magazines in the waiting room said,
Jackie O and Charles & Di and Axl Rose and Cher
and Madonna and Oprah, skinny in a sparkling purple
gown, is the richest woman on TV. Ebony said,
25 Years After The Civil Rights Act of 1964
What Has and Hasn’t Changed? “Batdance” played on
the radio. The TV said, War on Drugs. The TV
said, Drought. The TV sang, Thank you for being a friend,
travel down the road and back again. Dade County said,
snakes and amphibians mangled by lawn mowers.
The United States said, The life expectancy of black men
is 64.8 years. 1989 said the following for the first time:
latte, caffeinate, cyber porn, viral marketing, Generation X.
Karen was the last thing the Atlantic Ocean said
that hurricane season. Voyager 2 said of Neptune,
What is this ring? What is this Great Dark Spot?
Saturn in Capricorn squaring Venus in Libra said,
Hello small bachelor, here’s your near fetishistic desire
for classical beauty; said it’ll take your Saturn Return,
a whole revolution, to begin loving yourself. Jesus
didn’t say anything but a senator said He did.
On a break, the attendant nurse bought a Dr. Pepper
from the vending machine. Then she went outside
with her menthols and Walkman to listen to self-help tapes.
The cassette skipped and skipped and skipped.
Question: Where does this poem take you, and why?
Contributor Answer: I was 9 years old in 1989. Not quite old enough to remember all of the above, but old enough to remember the feelings of the time. The aliveness and possibilities of the late 80s seem a long way away from the heaviness and complexities that seem to surround the world now. But then, perhaps that’s just the perspective of a 44 year old versus that of a 9 year old—don’t all older generations romanticise the times they grew up in? Of course some things have gotten better… the thought of giving up my Spotify playlist for a walkman tape player fills me with total dread!
Reader: Where does this poem take you, and why?
Writing Prompt: Write about a beginning.
Contributor Response: I love dreaming about new creative projects, particularly writing. I love cooking up ideas in my mind and fantasizing about how they will come together. Playing with ideas in my mind is like the ultimate video game. And then it comes time to sit at my keyboard and actually write and I have to stare my own resistance in the eyes.
Have I got unanswered emails? Is my desk tidy enough? How about the phone call I promised to return…? Every possible excuse starts to come up…. Sometimes I win and I get moving… other times, I don’t.
What’s the difference in whether I begin with gusto, and when the resistance wins? Often, that difference is one in my own nervous system. The harder I push, and the more pressure, the harder it is. The more relaxed I am, the more I’m connected to my flow, the easier it is. I wonder if it’s a little like giving birth (as a man of course I’ll never know!), but it’s a combination of effort, and surrender. And, when that surrender really goes deep, of course that is when the best work begins.
“Reader: Now it’s your turn! Write about a beginning. (Set your timer for 5 minutes and write from the heart.)”
Reader: Write about a beginning. (Set your timer for 5 minutes and write from the heart.)
You can also send your responses and feedback to scribe@andreanakayama.com
Guest contributor: Alex Howard is Founder & Chairman of The Optimum Health Clinic (OHC), one of the world’s leading integrative medicine clinics specialising in fatigue. With a team of 25 full time practitioners supporting thousands of patients in 50+ countries, the OHC team has pioneered working with patients remotely since 2004.
Alex is creator of the Therapeutic Coaching methodology, and since March 2020, has been documenting his therapeutic work with real life patients via his In Therapy with Alex Howard YouTube series. In the last few years, Alex has created some of the largest online conferences in the health and mind–body markets; including the Trauma Super Conference. Alex’s online conferences have been attended by over 2 million people.
Alex has published academic research in publications such as the British Medical Journal Open and Psychology and Health, and is the author of three books, including his most recent It’s Not Your Fault – Why childhood trauma shapes you and how to break free.
