Little Known
Come along for the ride. Let the music inside and around you be your guide. You might be surprised where this takes you.
Read or listen… As my mind goes here and there, see where this takes you. You might discover something you haven’t seen before.
It’s been a slow day. Glad to be sitting here with my dear wife. Doing nothing… I wish I could take a run, but my mind does that for me these days.
Just listening to a few of my favorites—John Prine, Simon and Garfunkel… and more. Maybe, you hear more...
On the back porch—my favorite room in the house. At home... feeling the change in seasons inside and between… and around us. It’s like I’m watching the world go round.
But not moving much—still. Dolly and the birdies singing nature’s tune. Resting a bit before traversing troubled waters once again.
Looking up to the sky, I see a silver bird… almost like it’s waiting to take me home.
It’s two days after the anniversary of 9/11… just a reminder I suppose. I can’t read anyone's mind or know all the answers. We live in an imperfect world and it’s not my job to fix it—even if I could.
I’m perfectly human. No need to be famous. It's enough to be famous in a few people's hearts, and for them to remember who holds them famous in theirs.
It’s okay to be myself and not try to change who I am to please others.
That’s our song.
I tell my wife, “The good times go hand in hand with the bad. In times of trouble, I’m not going anywhere. That just makes me want to be with you even more.”
Receiving a smile, I know that she cares and loves me… That’s all that really matters. We’re not strangers. I’ve known her a lifetime… maybe forever.
The words echo in my head that a special client once told me, “I just appreciate someone to talk to. It helps to hear that you believe in me. I’m just waiting for my partner to believe in themselves.”
That's it, we don't need to work so hard. The less we say, the more I feel... I hope you do too.
Little known, I guess. Never famous. Please... That's the way I want to be. Just making my mark in my own way.
You see, just Marc with a “c.” That’s me—Classic Marc. Always enough, even when I didn’t know it.
How about you?
I have a dream that I can hold the light of invisibility. We all have that capacity.
Like the song playing in the background says, sometimes I feel like I’m living in a desert riding a horse with no name.
No… I think it’s an elephant. And it shows me what is sometimes hard to see. That’s the painful truth.
But I know that no one can hurt me now. I have access to my internal compass—my Core Self—and can protect myself in a way I couldn’t before.
Feeling a little sad and alone—no one knowing who I am, not even my name. It’s different now. Just because someone doesn’t like what I say doesn’t mean I’m invisible. That’s the way I felt, but didn’t know how to say it.
I hope you understand… a lot of people feel this way. We can talk about it more if you like. It’s important to make space for the pain as it tells me that the joy is there too. That’s the big picture.
Now I know that it’s not always about me. It’s about all of us.
Quite a tapestry. I can see it when I walk into a room. I see you too.
Music to my ears. A few earworms too. Pain and joy in my heart—sitting hand in hand, like a parent comforting their child.
My body tells me to get moving… The horse or elephant has become my bike, and I’m not lost anymore. I rode everywhere when I was a kid. Didn’t always know where I was going or what I was looking for.
See you on the road. Even though it feels like I’m naked, I’ll be the one you hardly notice… little known—just me.
Do you recognize yourself?
Maybe that’s what I’m known for. The person leading from his Core Self, helping others know who they are—to find the power within themselves. Not to worship me or anyone else.
Now is the time to stand up. I don’t need to be famous to have a voice.
I’m still learning how to ride a bike. People told me I would never forget. I know what to do but my body doesn’t always agree.
Feeling the wobbles, finding my balance, falling and getting back up again… and again. Staying connected to what I’m feeling and seeing a little more now as I keep rolling along.
Not bad for a little known old guy on a back porch in Vermont who often enjoys being by himself, but wants to be noticed… no longer ruled by fear.
Not like a famous client once told me, “I love people. I just can’t stand being around them.”
Wow… Notice where this takes you.
When you ride the waves of what got wired in from the past, I hold the hope that you’ll find a better path—even the one less taken, where you or the other will be noticed… even if only by yourself.
Yeah… Notice now whether you can see things a little more clearly… a glimmer of light coming through the clouds touching the corner of your heart.
We're all here—just human. Nothing more, nothing less. That's who we are… Feeling the power of love inside and out.
Sit a while longer if you can… Let the Cat man’s voice take you home. Don’t be Shy. It brings this story to life.
You’re not alone. We’re healing and growing together. Becoming more fully human.
Funny how that works. Pretty strange... No, just me… little known me.
You never know where I’ll land. Some like to give it a name. I call it being different. I have the T-shirt and I’m proud of that.
Remembering a conference I ran almost 50 years ago when I worked with a lot of different kids and teachers. We called it: Don’t Label Me. Teach Me.
A lot of people got the message and found their voice. I still know my name. That’s all I need.
Have no fear—humanaphobia—the fear of losing our humanness. It may not be in the big book yet, but it’s real. It’s our Core Self—hard to see at times, but it’s always there.
Let’s not forget that. Our lives depend on it… Our humanity.
Marc that… with a little c, of course. What do I know? More than I thought I did... You too.
Do you remember this song? Can you see me now? Can you see yourself?
We’re all different. Maybe I’ll find the courage to sit with someone who hates me.
Who knows where we’ll land next. Where is Waldo now?
He’s still a marathon runner—his feet never touching the ground.
Like the sign says—Believe…
Dedication: To all those on this journey of heart, moving from room to room, remembering themselves—and who we are together, even when we feel alone or lost in a crowd.
Gratitude: With appreciation for those who have shared their light and sweetness with me over the years—and received mine in return.
Confidentiality note: This piece was inspired by someone close to my heart, but is a composite of many people I know—inside and outside of therapy. Any resemblance to your own life or our shared experience is both coincidental and universal—reminding us that our stories echo one another in the fabric of human experience.
Comments or questions? You’re welcome to reach me at mcecilvt@aol.com. Feel free to share these words—and this blog—with anyone you hold close… or long to be closer to.
Challenge: How many song references and metaphors do you notice—or come up for you now?
About me: Besides being a writer, Marc Cecil is a doctoral-level licensed psychologist, certified AEDP supervisor, approved EMDR consultant, and senior CSRT consultant. An experienced psychotherapist, supervisor, consultant, and teacher, Marc uses an integrated experiential model called Core Self Integration Therapy (CSIT)—grounded in our capacity for adaptive change—to help people heal from complex relational, developmental, and transgenerational trauma. Some refer to it as Elephant Work—standing solidly in the healing power of accompaniment.
Dr. Cecil lives in Vermont near the shores of Lake Bomoseen, where his heartfelt stories and images of connection arise from the light of invisibility—bringing life to therapy and therapy to life.
Stay tuned for more—as this living model continues to grow—with self-compassion leading the way around the world… and back home.