Image courtesy of Matthew Manning on Facebook

It happens like this…

You’re standing in a queue and the person standing in front of you, suddenly turns around and says something/anything to you. You start a conversation with them, and before you know it, you’re telling them your life story.

Why do we do this?

Everyone Has a Story to Tell

It’s true! Everyone needs to share how the journey has been, so far.

That’s why some people become therapists, analysts and ministers. They want to help people share the load.

But there are pitfalls:

An example of this may even involve falling in love with a ‘father’ or ‘mother’ figure (someone who represents the nurturing and caring nature of a missing parent). It’s totally natural.

But the other person has to be aware that it’s happening to avoid being caught up in the first person’s fantasy world. Like the joint Cathar memory from Arthur Guirdham’s book, We Are One Another.

Confession is Good for the Soul

We need to tell someone else what’s been going on. That’s why the Roman Catholic Church instituted the act of confession. By telling your priest your sins, you clear the memory banks of obsessional thoughts, and become newly liberated from the weight of guilt. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there, but at least you get a chance to start again with a clean slate.

The joke that Protestants like to tell is that the Pope must be a Protestant because he confesses his sins directly to God. But it’s likely that the Pope has a designated Father Confessor, too.

Conclusion

We are all in this together. I write this often, don’t I? No one need be totally alone in this world. Share your story. Tell your truth. And be grateful for the chance to confide in a stranger.