You're listening to the Place We Find Ourselves Podcast.

I am joined today by Scott Gibson, who is a therapist in the Chicago area.

Scott graciously shares a story about himself as an 11-year-old boy.

It's a story about desire, about devastation, and especially about attachment.

Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Scott.

Okay, I have Scott Gibson on the line. Scott, it is good to see you again.

Good to see you again, too, Adam.

Scott was on episode 14 back in season one, and we talked a fair bit about how trauma

affects our bodies, and we talked a little bit about how you came to engage your story.

But the conversation went in a direction that I didn't want to interrupt, and so we never got to

your actual story that you had written and that you were willing to share. And so we're returning

to that today, and we're just going to start with your story. So I want to invite you to read it.

When I was 10, my twin brother, Steve and I entered our dog into 4-8's dog obedience.

We both went to the classes, worked with our little rat-tarier puppy, and I was decided that since

only one of us could actually work the dog in the competition that it would be him.

I'm not sure how that was decided, but it was. Muffet our dog ended up doing very well that first year,

and ended up taking firsts in the first year category, and grand champion in the whole competition

in our county 4-8's fair. I did get my picture in the paper with my two brothers in Muffet,

and the trophies and ribbons that she won. Of course, they made a home in my brother, Steve's room.

So the following year, I was talking with my aunt Mary, and she had a fox-tarier puppy that was your typical

untrained farm dog that I played with when I was visiting their farm. I asked my mom if I could have the dog.

Chips for a dog for me to train and compete with. She said no, but that didn't stop me.

...