Larry L. Franklin's Blog, page 2
September 12, 2022
The boy with the bent neck and a dog whose tail wouldn’t wag. — II
Without hesitation, the man who we will call Larry, took the woman’s advice. Two days and two nights into Larry’s journey, he reached a small monastery with walls of reddish sandstone that blended into the mountainside. Surrounding the buildings were gardens filled with lush vegetation, donkeys, rabbits, dogs, cows, and several men dressed in brown robes with sandals strapped to their feet.
Under a large tree sat Father Ramero, a lean man built like a long-distance runner with a freshly shaved head. He was in deep thought as his mind visited another time and place.
As Larry moved forward, Father Ramero opened his eyes and a slight smile quickly grew on his face. “Welcome, Larry. I’ve been expecting you. Come, sit , and tell me of your path.”
Larry told Father Ramero about the sadness in his life and about a childhood squandered away by physical and sexual abuse. “Let us sit together and find the source of your pain,” Father Ramero said. “Meditate and let the secrets of your life come forward.” They sat for two-hours without speaking. Larry opened his eyes. He felt sadness but didn’t know why. He looked at Father Ramero and was shocked to see teardrops running down his face. The front of his robe was wet. Clearly upset by his experience, Father Ramero spoke. “I saw the boy with the bent neck and a dog whose tail wouldn’t wag. Larry, your child is in a great deal of pain. You have neglected his needs. Sit with your child, learn to know him, learn to love him. You’re welcome to stay with us while you begin your journey.”
Except for the brief moments needed to eat bread, fruit, and drink some water, Larry spent all his waking time sitting or walking in meditation while his energy was focused on the child within. Silence was only interrupted by the occasional words of encouragement from Father Ramero.
September 4, 2022
The boy with the bent neck and a dog whose tail wouldn’t wag. — Part I
(I will continue this story in a series of short blurbs. )
It’s a story best told around the campfire under a star-filled sky accompanied by the distant sound of whip-poor-wills; a tale best told about “the boy with the bent neck and a dog whose tail wouldn’t wag.” Some of the details may have changed, but the meaning remains the same.
There was a middle-aged man who, when viewed according to upper-class standards, lived a successful life. Still, relentless pain dwelled beneath his skin and bones. The pain drove him to roam the countryside in search of happiness. He came upon a woman who he found unfamiliar but alluring. There was a quietness about her. Upon questioning, she told him that true happiness could be found at a Buddhist monastery located in a remote part of Colorado. The monastery was occupied by a group of monks led by Father Ramero, a man wise beyond his years. As an inititial test, anyone seeking Father Ramero’s help had to make the twenty-five mile trip on foot over rugged terrain leading to the monastery on the mountaintop.
The boy with the bent neck and a dog whose tail wouldn’t wag. Part I
(I will continue this story in a series of short blurbs. )
It’s a story best told around the campfire under a star-filled sky accompanied by the distant sound of whip-poor-wills; a tale best told about “the boy with the bent neck and a dog whose tail wouldn’t wag.” Some of the details may have changed, but the meaning remains the same.
There was a middle-aged man who, when viewed according to upper-class standards, lived a successful life. Still, relentless pain dwelled beneath his skin and bones. The pain drove him to roam the countryside in search of happiness. He came upon a woman who he found unfamiliar but alluring. There was a quietness about her. Upon questioning, she told him that true happiness could be found at a Buddhist monastery located in a remote part of Colorado. The monastery was occupied by a group of monks led by Father Ramero, a man wise beyond his years. As an inititial test, anyone seeking Father Ramero’s help had to make the twenty-five mile trip on foot over rugged terrain leading to the monastery on the mountaintop.
August 28, 2022
Everything Buried But Nothing Grew
Victims Make the Best Birdhouses by Larry L Franklin
It is not my job to convince you that I am a victim of physical and sexual abuse. I share my journey, leaving you to draw your own conclusions. While my story is based on what I believe to be true, I recognize the possibility of minor discrepancies in human recall. It is my hope that fellow victims of physical and sexual abuse will benefit from my sharing and become stronger and wiser than before.
August 27, 2022
A Healing Moment
Victims Make the Best Birdhouses by Larry L Franklin
Trauma is a vampire, but light, as any student of folklore or Freud knows, will kill it. The problem is, when the shell- shocked try to exhume their memories—to bring them into the light—the result can be a death struggle so fierce they may fear it’s them, not the suckling pain that’s about to die.
—Katherine Russell Rich
The Red Devil: A Memoir About Beating The Odds
August 25, 2022
August 18, 2022
Drawing from Victims Make the Best Birdhouses
A pen drawing of a auto wreck in 1950 that killed my father, brother, two cousins, grandfather, and girlfriend. The drawing was made by Wil Maring.
August 16, 2022
Powerful Review
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Story of Survival and a Path to Healing
Franklin’s horrific story reminds us that humans have the capacity to inflict life-long harm upon each other through physical and sexual abuse. While his previous works hint at his past, Franklin’s memoir is the unthinkable full story. Through great courage and time (and with the help of psychotherapy), he works through his past to unpack the dark, repressed memories deep inside him. This book is an astonishing account of a twenty-year journey of reliving visceral memories and piecing together a fragmented past. While one could have chosen to give up or turn the other way, Franklin’s book is a gift to us all – a compelling story that tells a true, horrific account of childhood physical and sexual abuse. I’m personally very thankful that (Uncle) Larry is a strong, brave survivor and know his story is one of hope and inspiration for the many victims of childhood abuse.
August 15, 2022
Victims Make the Best Birdhouses
BY LARRY L. FRANKLIN ‧ RELEASE DATE: APRIL 29, 2022 Kirkus Review
Franklin recounts his childhood abuse and his path to recovery.
Franklin, whose last book was The Black River (2020), repressed memories of his difficult youth until his mother revealed that his father never loved him. For most of his young life, Franklin says he was physically and emotionally abused; as an adult, he blocked those memories. After his mother’s admission, however, the scenes flooded back into his mind: “For the moment, I was unable to speak. My mother had rolled an emotional grenade that spun on the gray carpet stretched out across the living room floor and came to a stop at my feet. Mentally, I threw my body on top of the grenade, hoping to stop the pain that twisted and churned in my body.” Franklin’s childhood was so traumatic, it took years of therapy for him to find clarity. His recounting of his journey to mental wellbeing, and the case he builds for the efficacy of therapy, is well and candidly told. Many memoirs graphically portray trauma; but here, Franklin uses a lighter touch, alluding to rather than dwelling on the violence. Instead, he offers the emotions he felt while on his journey to healing. While Franklin’s encyclopedic, straightforward memoir moves slowly at times, the details may resonate with readers (“Even in my adult years, when I was in my thirties, I attempted to measure my level of grief. If someone I loved died, would I cry? How much sadness would I feel? Would it weigh me down? I wanted to know, so one night, I imagined that my two daughters had died”). Overall, Franklin offers an honest, diaristic report that has the potential to help those who’ve weathered similar experiences.A frank and cathartic account—and a testimony to the benefits of psychotherapy.
Pub Date: April 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-947966-56-7
Page Count: 222
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2022
Review Program: KIRKUS INDIE
Categories: BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & M
