Why Now?
After all, I’ve been on this pursuit for 59 years.
I’ve chosen to do this publication for all kinds of reasons that won’t be immediately apparent.
Historically, this project has spooled and wound, untangled, coiled, and struck. It has used pseudonyms, gone skittish, and, at times, has retreated — and when it has, it’s done so for very long periods.
The work of these 59 years has seized up, frozen in the headlights, been published, panicked, required more research, consulted with experts, cried, railed, and yet, lately, more and more, it plays.
So, why now, and why here? The Treasure Hunt is a place for me to aggregate 59 years of research, writing, gems, aha’s, magic, miracles, and the pure joy of bringing play and imagination back online within my trauma-addled brain.
As a place, I can tell the story of writing a field guide about parts of this adventure, the adventures that led to it, and the adventures it unlocks. I plan to talk to people I would normally be too nervous to talk to and to be myself.
It must be said, I am not particularly clever. If ever there is an audience for this place, it will not be for my snarky wit or artful disdain. It will be, in all likelihood, for the painfully earnest hope that I hold for anyone who has experienced soul-crushing trauma and wants to get on with life and experience some goddamned fun.
Illustration: from Treasure Island.
While the classic imagery carries echoes of a complex past, I draw upon it for an expedition that delves into the uncharted territories of the self, navigating our own complex pasts, and the complexities of trauma with the goal of unearthing the most valuable treasure of all: our selves.