The Alexandria Papers Newsletter, from Dr Alexandria Szeman - #1 (Sunday 8 August 2021)

I don’t remember learning to read, but one of my earliest memories is of myself, sitting on the floor between the stacks of a small neighborhood library, reading stories by Hawthorne. The librarian said I wasn’t old enough to have my own library card and I certainly wasn’t old enough to read “grown-up” books. That meant I had to read at the library, so that’s what I did, falling in love with Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales at 8, and with Shakespeare’s tragedies at 12. Books have been my faithful companions ever since. The internet of things opened up a new world of resources for me, and ebooks, blogs, and articles are one of my favorite things about digital life. Here’s what I’ve been reading recently.

I so need self-compassion right now since I’m going through a very difficult life transition. I’ve practiced mindfulness for a few decades now, but never to develop self-compassion or to control pain. That’s what I’m doing now.

During a 21-month intractable migraine (ultimately discovered to have been triggered by two cracked teeth), I began cooking and baking everything at home. Because of my increased reading on these topics, I’m enjoying cooking and baking even more.

I was diagnosed with migraine 60 years ago, at age 5 (“sick headaches” ran in the family) and with seizures during migraine when I was 9 ( the term “hemiplegic migraine” wasn’t even mentioned to me till I was 38). I try to learn as much as I can about migraine disorder so I can take care of myself.

As a survivor of 15 years of childhood sexual abuse (from my father, mother, and stepfather), I’ve found a supportive healing community on Twitter, where I co-host the weekly #SexAbuseChat (Tuesdays 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST).

The pandemic, with its lockdowns, quarantines, and restrictions, seems to have triggered anxiety and safety issues for many people. I’ve found reassurance and help online.