⁣⁣[𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟔] 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐥⁣⁣

𝟐𝟏 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐲

⁣⁣[𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟔] 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐥⁣⁣

I went to see a psychotherapist yesterday. She lives in an area I’ve always wanted to live in, where the houses are long and thin and have big bay windows. She has a well-behaved elderly dog and a kitchen with a stone floor. We talked about the style of psychotherapy she does, which involves massage. I’ve just finished reading 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦, so she was preaching to the converted.⁣⁣
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We then talked about how we try to communicate via words, but they’re not enough. We launch meaning out of our mouths, but it flies past someone’s head. They respond, and the same thing happens. We’re locked inside ourselves.⁣⁣
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This 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 thing I’m trying to set up. I have a fantasy that a small group of us could meet in person. I have an idea of where we could meet. There’s an unusual building here in Cambridge, the 800-year-old Leper Chapel. It was built as part of an isolation hospital for leprosy patients. The Chapel has survived for so long because it was then used as the chapel for workers from Stourbridge Fair. Stourbridge Fair was one of the biggest medieval fairs in Europe. It was based in Cambridge on a big water common next to the canal. The Leper Chapel stands one meadow over, and is one of my my favourite buildings. It feels reassuring and sinister at the same time. When you look at it from the road you can practically see men pulling drays and women in full skirts and wimples. It draws me inside and removes me from myself.⁣⁣
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It’s an unpractical building, it doesn’t even have a toilet. To use it for an in-person version of Safe House I’d have to rent a portaloo. But to quote a show I like, 𝘑𝘰𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘠𝘰𝘶, some days it feels like a piece of my soul is being removed. You're an NHS person, I'm sure you know this feeling. The show goes on to say that if you go for a walk and drop a leaf or something into a river and watch it whizz past, that helps you grow your soul again.⁣⁣
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𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 is an attempt to regrow our souls. I’ve listened to some profound podcasts and other meetings which have happened online, and I believe an online call-based forum for listening to each other will do us good. But I think talking about midwifery in the Leper Chapel would have an instant and vibrant effect.⁣⁣
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All I can say for now is: has your soul eroded from what you’ve done this week? Do you have a quiet and weird old place to step into? Where would bring you joy?⁣⁣
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All my best,⁣⁣
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Ellie.⁣⁣
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PS - This is part of a writing series called 𝟸𝟷 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳y. To get the whole series sent out via email, come to