Fruit Basket

By Payam Ghassemlou

Not everyone needs a dramatic experience to begin a process of self-reflection. For some, the soul simply wakes up, and the heart invites the mind to dance to a more meaningful tune. In this funny and inspiring book, Dr. Payam Ghassemlou shares the psycho-spiritual journey of an Iranian gay man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Payam Ghassemlou
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9780996428705

Payam Ghassemlou

Dr. Payam Ghassemlou, MFT, Ph.D., is currently in private practice in West Hollywood, CA providing individual therapy. He also taught first-year medical students in the Doctoring 1 program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.As a writer, he explores topics like gay issues, spirituality, and psychology. In this ebook, Fruit Basket, he shares about the psycho-spiritual journey of a gay man's stuggling with a life purpose.To learn more about him, please visit the website: www.DrPayam.com.

Book preview

FRUIT BASKET

Payam Ghassemlou, Ph.D.

Copyright 2015 Payam Ghassemlou Ph.D.

Published by Payam Ghassemlou at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contents

FRUIT BASKET

LAST DANCE

PEOPLE INSIDE JAVID

GAY ADOLESCENCE

CURIOSITY

GAY POLITICS

GAY PSYCHOLOGY

DESPERATELY SEEKING BOYFRIEND

COMING OUT OF TOXIC SHAME

IRAN

RACE

PERSIAN HERITAGE

JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY

SPIRITUALITY

VOLUNTEER WORK

DUSTING OFF THE MIRROR

LAST STOP

SAYING GOODBYE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fruit Basket

When I first met Javid (pseudonym) at the San Francisco LGBT Parade Festival over two decades ago, he was just a happy-go-lucky guy who lived a carefree life. Despite the fact that we did not have much in common at the time, somehow we managed to keep in contact over the years. In his early e-mails, he mostly talked about himself. I found some of his stories amusing. Once in a while, I would give him my two cents about some of his life choices. I have summarized our e-mail exchanges here in order to tell the story of how his life progressed. I am hoping that by sharing these e-mail dialogues, I can inspire others to add more depth and meaning to their lives. Javid’s Iranian background adds another beneficial layer. As a gay Iranian living in Los Angeles, I would like to do my part in bringing attention to the challenges gay Iranians (by gay, I refer primarily to the entire LGBT community) experience living in Iran and elsewhere overseas. Also, in my writing, I aim to bring awareness to the issues related to internalized homophobia, and encourage the reader not to minimize the negative impacts of homophobia on the formative experiences of gay people.

What is the purpose of my life? Why am I here? Where is my life going? Javid told me that he had been asking himself these questions ever since he stopped denying his need for a meaningful