Embracing the in-between challenges familial relationships and societal expectations.
Living in the in-between can provide comfort and fulfillment, but also creates a longing for acceptance in the real world.
Deep dives
Living in the Twilight: Embracing the In-Between
Em, a middle-aged woman, opens up about her love for daydreaming and living in-between realities. She had a difficult childhood, finding solace in imaginary worlds and cartoon characters while feeling disconnected from the real world. As she grew older, she met her husband and started a family, but her daydreaming habit didn't fade away. She continued to dedicate hours to her fantasies, finding comfort and fulfillment in those experiences. While her daydreaming offers escapism and a sense of connection, it also creates isolation and a longing for something more in her real life.
Navigating Gender Fluidity: Ally and Steve's Journey
Ally and Steve, a married couple, have experienced their own struggle with living in-between. Steve, living as gender nonconforming, tries to balance their female and male identities. While they have come to accept themselves, revealing their gender fluidity to their daughters proves more difficult. The daughters, although supportive ideologically, struggle to fully accept their father's gender fluidity on a deeper, more primal level. The story delves into how embracing the in-between can challenge familial relationships and societal expectations.
In Between Reality and Daydreams: Em's Secret Life
Em, a woman in her late forties, opens up about her lifelong obsession with daydreaming. She reveals a secret life filled with imaginary characters and adventures that provide her with a sense of understanding, closeness, and adventure. Despite having a husband, son, and a fulfilling middle-class life, Em feels lonely and disconnected from reality, leading her to hide her daydreaming habit from those closest to her. She struggles with the conflict between her daydreams and real life, finding it difficult to give up the comfort and satisfaction her daydreams bring.
The Challenges of Living in-Between Realities
This episode explores the challenges faced by individuals who navigate the in-between space. Whether it's finding solace in daydreams, embracing gender fluidity, or feeling torn between multiple realities, these stories shed light on the complexities of living in the in-between. It highlights the tension between the comfort and fulfillment found in the in-between and the longing for acceptance and understanding in the real world.
Today we introduce you to Allie n Steve, who is one person. For half the day she can be Allie and the other half he is Steve. For many of us this would be a disorienting experience. But after a shattering experience in their life, Allie n Steve has learned to live comfortably in this in between space. And Allie n Steve has lessons to teach us about the beauty of not retreating to black and white. We also talk to a woman who suffers from a little known condition called "maladaptive daydreaming." She is so addicted to her fantasy life that she's finding it hard to manage her real one.
