MATTHEW PALMER
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At the park with a stranger

6/27/2023

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Picture of the Cameron Park river trail in Waco, Texas.
Cameron Park River Trail Waco, Texas
I wonder what he saw that invited such kindness towards me. 
Was it the exposed wound I wore on my face as masked smile?
Was it the way I sat down under the weight of a broken reality?
Maybe it was my blood shot eyes unable to produce another tear?
Only he knows why. 
All I know is in my drowning a hand plunged into the waters of my grief and held me up to breathe.
A grace.
A gift.
A pure gift.

Written August 11, 2022
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A body mystery

6/23/2023

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Picture of the back of a person with not shirt curled up on the ground sitting up.
​I spend my days in a mystery
Made of flesh and bones
Held together by woven fibers
And the wetness of life.

A Body Mystery
Written May 13, 2023

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Suffocate

6/23/2023

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Picture of a green fern branch.
I fight every day to breathe
In a world made to suffocate me.

Suffocate
May 13, 2023

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Therapy by Bird Song and Cat Purrs

6/22/2023

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Picture a tabble orange and white cat laying on a wood floor with his legs and arms stretched out looking at the camera. The cat's name is Søren Clementine Palmer.
Søren Clementine Palmer
Content Notice: Suicide, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, Demons

As I sit this morning with my kitten Morrow on my lap and with the birds singing outside, I recall a passage in an ancient text about a man named Saul who had an evil spirit come upon him.[1] To find relief from the evil spirit, Saul listened to David play music from a harp. In a similar manner, as I listen to the birds outside, the demons plaguing my nervous system are exorcised from my body. The demons I face are legion, demons of stress, anxiety, depression, overstimulation, escapism, nihilism, and so forth. 

Relief, for me, comes in many forms: bird songs, walks along river trails, sitting outdoors in my rocking chair as I watch the pecan tree’s leaves dance in the breeze, or sitting quiet as Søren purrs happily on my chest. Recently, I read an article about the beneficial and calming effects on our nervous systems that walking alongside a body of water can bring.[2] Nature is one of our best therapeutic relationships. For me, birds have been one of my most treasured therapeutic relations. 

Another therapeutic relationship just climbed up on my chest to say good morning. Søren, my tabby, feline, family member, is happily purring as he grooms the hair on my hand. Like nature teaches, relationships require reciprocity and balance for growth, healing, and thriving to exist. So, I return the love I receive from Soren by scratching his head and cheeks as he smiles and purrs with satisfaction.

Søren was one of my first therapeutic relationships, which I acknowledged and recognized as such. I have often wondered if he knows what he’s doing when he lays on me and purrs. Does he know he has helped heal wounds I thought would never mend? Does he know how he has prevented me from dying by suicide? Does he know how he has saved me time and time again from a rising panic attack? Does he know?

Regardless, I am grateful this morning for the bird song; rivers, streams, and ocean waves; and for the rhythmic purrs of my feline family member. 
​
[1] 1 Samuel 16:23
[2] Bird Song Therapy; Walking in Nature; Walking Beside Bodies of Water

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A Look Behind the Screen: About Me

6/19/2023

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​This post is a brief introduction to who I am and an opportunity for you to get to see the person behind the screen! Below, you will find out a little bit more about me, and I will continue to post behind the scenes looks into the complexity and nuances of who I am in the future. ​
  • I am 6’4” tall.
  • I am a veracious reader and have typically read anywhere from 60 to a little over 200 books in a year (feel free to send me recommendations anytime!).
  • I was born in El Paso, Texas. 
  • I went to McLennan Community College for two years, spent nine months at a ministry school in California, came home and transferred to Liberty University where I completed my Bachelor’s of Science in Religion, and then spent the next three and a half years completing a Master of Divinity degree at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas.
  • I grew up attending a Baptist church. Since leaving El Paso, I have attended Charismatic, Pentecostal, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and non-denominational churches. I enjoy the diversity of thought, practices, and beliefs found in each tradition while also maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism about them as well.
  • I have had the privilege of traveling to India, South Africa, England, and Mexico.
  • Chlöe, my grey cat, taught herself how to use the toilet and is low-key a genius. Søren is the most loving and maternalistic cat parent to ever grace this earth. He successfully raised Chlöe and after Chlöe showed no interest in living out the stereotype of biologically female cats raising kittens, Søren chose to embrace Morrow and raise her as well. 
  • I struggle to finish most anything I start (ADHD/Autistic). For example, I have some 80 something books outlined and at various points in the writing process but have only completed one. Part of my starting this blog and creating a website is to motivate me to continue writing, publishing, and completing these long over-due drafts. 
  • I am fascinated by words. I am engrossed by the infinite worlds contained within words. I enjoy the way meaning is constructed and how words in one context mean one thing and can mean the complete opposite in another context.
View my profile on LinkedIn
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Matthew Palmer

Creating for a more beautiful, just, and equitable future for all people.

Email: [email protected]
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