I just saw Eve Ensler talking about her new book on t.v. She talked about being a survivor of childhood trauma and about how now, at 52, she's living her life with open insercurity. She was talking about how in childhood we crave security and safety often in the houses of people who abuse. She says, now, as a culture our desire to be safe and secure is making us give away and fight less hard for freedoms.

One woman asked about how to prevent burn-out when helping and fixing and dealing with all these world ills. She said, "I'm not equipped to fix/heal others. But I can be with them." She talked about how surviving violence cracked her open. She can feel and be with and understand suffering even the kind she hasn't experienced personally - she can share and feel it and listen. She said, most people don't need to be fixed or healed they just need to be able to share, be in community and to share their stories.

Someone asked when she is most happy. And again she had a look as if to say, "I don't really do happiness." She talked about wanting to be present, in her body, having her experiences and that in general she's happy but it's not the happy she might have thought. I just turned 40 and am beginning to really get a sense of these concepts in new ways. Very inspiring and encouraging to hear her and sad to learn more about what is happening all voer the world.

I love how she combines, without apology, her personal and political work. It's ALL important, related and critical.

For more about her and her work... here's a link.
http://www.vday.org/contents/vday/aboutvday/eveensler