I Reserve the Right to be Terrified: A Long Life (Paperback)
You want to know why dying is like orgasm? Blayney Colmore, thirty years an Episcopal priest and life escort, explains: Does death make hash of all our efforts? Is there a dimension beyond what we know? Can normal people access it? As we burn down our culture's best achievements can we do something more useful than mourn? Come along on this holy roller coaster. You may recognize the highs and lows: baptism, marriage, burial, hitting for the cycle, from tomb to portal, an assassinated seminary classmate, close friend with Watergate criminals, an African odyssey, divorce, remarriage—all in the shadow of inevitable, impending death.
Blayney Colmore, was an Episcopal priest for 30 years—from the tumultuous ’60s into the new millennium. He served at parishes across the country, had two marriages, three children, and two step-children. He was active in protests against racism, Vietnam and the Iraq wars, and on an odyssey in pursuit of justice and peace. From the hope of the Great Society, women’s empowerment, compassionate welfare, to a minority seeking to dismantle our democratic experiment, he’s been here long enough to know passionate, thoughtful energy can transform seeming hopelessness into new life.
"Blayney's gifted and supernal writing invites introspection about the mysteries of life and death worth pondering. This memoir is the wisdom of a lifetime of experiences, gathered up and offered as a gift to anyone interested in exploring the mysteries of life's deeper meaning and purpose.” —The Rev Rebecca Dinovo, St. James Church, La Jolla, California
“Blayney Colmore reflects on his long life in the Church with candor, humanity, and wit. He understands that our life, at its end as at its beginning, is a journey into the unknown. His readers will find in Blayney not only a guide for that journey, but also a good companion and a sympathetic friend.” —Castle Freeman, Jr., award-winning author of the acclaimed novel Go With Me
“Episcopal priest, political activist, poet, philosopher, naturalist, dreamer, dog lover and, above all, storyteller — takes the reader on a beautifully written journey of meaning.” —Stephen Metcalfe, author of The Tragic Age and The Practical Navigator
"I enjoyed the memoir's narrative writing style and its structure as a journal. I resonated with many of the author's remarks related to subjects beyond consciousness. For instance, I loved how he described the marriage vows, and the idea of practicing dying captivated me. Also, I liked that Blayney addressed topics such as racial justice and African spirituality . . ." —Andrada Madalina, Online Book Club.
“Blayney Colmore reflects on his long life in the Church with candor, humanity, and wit. He understands that our life, at its end as at its beginning, is a journey into the unknown. His readers will find in Blayney not only a guide for that journey, but also a good companion and a sympathetic friend.” —Castle Freeman, Jr., award-winning author of the acclaimed novel Go With Me
“Episcopal priest, political activist, poet, philosopher, naturalist, dreamer, dog lover and, above all, storyteller — takes the reader on a beautifully written journey of meaning.” —Stephen Metcalfe, author of The Tragic Age and The Practical Navigator
"I enjoyed the memoir's narrative writing style and its structure as a journal. I resonated with many of the author's remarks related to subjects beyond consciousness. For instance, I loved how he described the marriage vows, and the idea of practicing dying captivated me. Also, I liked that Blayney addressed topics such as racial justice and African spirituality . . ." —Andrada Madalina, Online Book Club.