Alicen, I am so glad you are alive and that you have such wonderful people around you right now. What a blessing in the midst of something so terrifying. I am sending my love and healing to all of you. 🙏🏻💜💫
Thank you! I'm truly okay because, by some miracle, my job is still able to keep me employed remotely now that I've evacuated. So I'm not in crisis. Instead, I've been receiving donations on Will's behalf, and may also relay donations to some other AVL friends in various degrees of need (stranded in different parts of Asheville, still don't have water or power, etc.) And I highly recommend ABCCM as a place to donate to, because it's a huge church network that really gets sh*t DONE. I can vouch for them hardcore.
Beautifully conveyed. Can’t wait for part two. Yes, calamities tend to bring out the best in people, as life becomes raw, down to the basics on all levels.
Your words felt like an initiation into the raw intensity of nature’s force, but also into the resilience that emerges from facing it. There’s something so tender yet fierce and powerful in the way you captured the current energy of Asheville and the personal transformation and bittersweet lessons that followed.
I’m so grateful that God kept you and Jupiter safe, and may those who have moved from this world rest in peace.
Thank you for sharing your experience and hope that everyone could learn to lean into love more and more.
Learning to lean into love is exactly what this whole ordeal taught me. I truly fell in love with my landmates because of this experience. I can see a beauty in their different gifts and personalities that I simply couldn't see before, because of the walls around my heart. Took a storm to knock down those walls, but the outcome is more love, more love, more love. <3
It's a testament to the depth of what you experienced and to your writing (and photography) skills that, even though I knew the story, I felt myself on the edge of my seat, riveted, as I read this post. I am beyond grateful that you and Jupiter are safe.
I also deeply appreciate such a nuanced, humane account. May it offer some much-needed context for those viewing the ongoing tragedy from a distance and in the abstract. I pray countless others will undergo a similar experience in terms of connection and perspective. Like a (biblical) rainbow to denote a new covenant.
Alicen, what a interwoven mixture of joy and pain as you did the next right thing each step of the way. Keep writing. It matters immensely and you have a talent for expression that is uniquely yours just as is voice. So grateful to know you and be able to read along as you continue your evolution through this body. Hugs!❤️🩹
Thank you so much for hearing me, Naomi, and for being part of the journey that led to me sharing my voice more freely and courageously than I could have before singing with you <3
Alicen, I am so grateful you are not only alive and safe but have already metamorphosized your trauma into healing and elevating beauty.
I started blubbering halfway through this heart-wrenching, exhilarating, gorgeous account of your harrowing experience. Your description of trying to save Jacob’s life was too excruciatingly close to home (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/ive-lost-half-of-me-pitched-past), and then when I read about Jacob being united with Jolene in death, my blubbering turned to wailing. I can’t help feeling a little jealous that neither had to suffer the agony of losing the other, which is what Michael and I had always hoped for ourselves 😭💔🥀
I definitely thought of you at some point while processing what I witnessed. I was like, "Oh God, so this is what it's like to watch someone die. As if losing Michael wasn't enough, she also had to SEE it." 💔 I'm so sorry, MAA.
Hey. This has been one of the wildest weeks of my life. So glad you're OK down there, we have heard horror stories from AVL. We are just north you in Johnson Co TN. Do you need anything? Do you have a safe place to stay?
Thank you William. Ultimately I did end up safe with family in TN (which was a drama unto itself that I'm saving for either Part 2 or 3), so I won't be needing anything. I appreciate your desire to help 🙏🏽
Biden Harris is satanical and don’t care about the pooors
Blood on their hands
Pedophilia opiate of the elites
Left is dumber than woke
Don’t get experimental vxxx
The Trump star is holding a rally at Madison Square Garden in the heart of blue after 100,000 showed up in Butler PA anything’s possible
What relevance does this have to my post? You sound like a bot.
Alicen I love you.
Alicen, I am so glad you are alive and that you have such wonderful people around you right now. What a blessing in the midst of something so terrifying. I am sending my love and healing to all of you. 🙏🏻💜💫
Beautiful and poignant writing. I'm grateful you're ok, and if there is anything we can do to help, let us know.
Thank you! I'm truly okay because, by some miracle, my job is still able to keep me employed remotely now that I've evacuated. So I'm not in crisis. Instead, I've been receiving donations on Will's behalf, and may also relay donations to some other AVL friends in various degrees of need (stranded in different parts of Asheville, still don't have water or power, etc.) And I highly recommend ABCCM as a place to donate to, because it's a huge church network that really gets sh*t DONE. I can vouch for them hardcore.
Beautiful diary.
This is something else. Waiting for Part 2, and 3 and however many you'll have.
Beautifully conveyed. Can’t wait for part two. Yes, calamities tend to bring out the best in people, as life becomes raw, down to the basics on all levels.
Grateful you are alive Alicen. May your words continue to help heal not only yourself, but those whom you encountered in Asheville...
Alicen, My lovely,
Your words felt like an initiation into the raw intensity of nature’s force, but also into the resilience that emerges from facing it. There’s something so tender yet fierce and powerful in the way you captured the current energy of Asheville and the personal transformation and bittersweet lessons that followed.
I’m so grateful that God kept you and Jupiter safe, and may those who have moved from this world rest in peace.
Thank you for sharing your experience and hope that everyone could learn to lean into love more and more.
Bianca
Learning to lean into love is exactly what this whole ordeal taught me. I truly fell in love with my landmates because of this experience. I can see a beauty in their different gifts and personalities that I simply couldn't see before, because of the walls around my heart. Took a storm to knock down those walls, but the outcome is more love, more love, more love. <3
This is so powerful. I shed tears reading this. It's indeed true that we are all gods with amnesia.
Just donated some money via PayPal to go towards Will so he can rebuild his commune. Take care, Alicen.
Thank you Dom, I will send it to him.
It's a testament to the depth of what you experienced and to your writing (and photography) skills that, even though I knew the story, I felt myself on the edge of my seat, riveted, as I read this post. I am beyond grateful that you and Jupiter are safe.
I also deeply appreciate such a nuanced, humane account. May it offer some much-needed context for those viewing the ongoing tragedy from a distance and in the abstract. I pray countless others will undergo a similar experience in terms of connection and perspective. Like a (biblical) rainbow to denote a new covenant.
Thanks for sharing, bestie... 🙏
Alicen, what a interwoven mixture of joy and pain as you did the next right thing each step of the way. Keep writing. It matters immensely and you have a talent for expression that is uniquely yours just as is voice. So grateful to know you and be able to read along as you continue your evolution through this body. Hugs!❤️🩹
Thank you so much for hearing me, Naomi, and for being part of the journey that led to me sharing my voice more freely and courageously than I could have before singing with you <3
Alicen, I am so grateful you are not only alive and safe but have already metamorphosized your trauma into healing and elevating beauty.
I started blubbering halfway through this heart-wrenching, exhilarating, gorgeous account of your harrowing experience. Your description of trying to save Jacob’s life was too excruciatingly close to home (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/ive-lost-half-of-me-pitched-past), and then when I read about Jacob being united with Jolene in death, my blubbering turned to wailing. I can’t help feeling a little jealous that neither had to suffer the agony of losing the other, which is what Michael and I had always hoped for ourselves 😭💔🥀
I definitely thought of you at some point while processing what I witnessed. I was like, "Oh God, so this is what it's like to watch someone die. As if losing Michael wasn't enough, she also had to SEE it." 💔 I'm so sorry, MAA.
🙏😭😭😭😭😭💔
Hey. This has been one of the wildest weeks of my life. So glad you're OK down there, we have heard horror stories from AVL. We are just north you in Johnson Co TN. Do you need anything? Do you have a safe place to stay?
Thank you William. Ultimately I did end up safe with family in TN (which was a drama unto itself that I'm saving for either Part 2 or 3), so I won't be needing anything. I appreciate your desire to help 🙏🏽