"I never get depressed": my officemate said so casually and carefree; it was as if she was stating a well-known fact. For a moment i did not believe her and then i thought maybe she was right.In a spirit of jest, an old colleague once called her a crazy woman. I knew that she heard it right and that i observed that she took the jab as a sporty recognition of their friendship, even though she did not say a thing and the colleague had to uncomfortably wait for a reply and to excruciatingly hold his breath before a third party breaks the ghostly gap of silence. Her gag murmured an admission that she did not want to say out loud, that she was aware of in her heart and i assumed, that she wanted to be kept an open secret among her acquaintances. Her intention was cautiously founded, i somehow see it that way.
And as if detecting a seed of doubt in my eyes, she went on to explain: "Maybe because i let it all out at once and then it's over".
True enough, she is one strange character, a chatty conversationalist who blurts all the complaints in their crudest version and delivers the matter-of-fact-things as it is. She could be a pessimist talker, finding faults from the miniscule to the grand issue (don't even start her with politics) but she could be the sweetest tiger too, a generous soul if one happens to be on "her" side.
I happen to deal stress with a less-straightforward approach, not so much with the spitfire attack of gabbing, maybe because i have a habit of analyzing the situation first. There are, of course, exception when desperate instances calls for quick judgments; nevertheless i seem to be a student of method as far as i remember. The boon about it is that i am able to plan and to pace my de-stressing outlets to the level of my needs. On the other hand, i tend to feel that i am losing the cruise control of my sanity when i am allowing these negative forces to pile into my vulnerable will like bricks of stones in an adobe house.
Far from proclaiming myself depressed-free, the words of this crazy woman is a drop of wisdom to my ear.
4 comments:
My dad has always been one to put it out there and then move on. That's not always easy for the folks on the receiving end, but once they dig the approach, they feel better. Great post.
it just takes so much work and energy to hold onto it. it just feels better to feel better. of course..this is easier said than done. i'm working on getting it done and i already feel so much better. be sad later!
It's not always easy to say things as it is, maybe because some people are careful enough not to be judgmental. It takes an intuitive conviction to tell the truth on the face of someone; and although this can be hurtful to the person and to the relationship, many have actually find it relieving that somebody has to finish the sentence and tell them the truth straight to their face.
The Wise or Motley Fool is an ageold concept though, so perhaps that is her inspiration.
I like the Mark Twain approach to life of 'I can,' (aka bite back) 'but I won't' ('cos I'm above that - unless someone REALLY pushes me).
I have a really long fuse but once someone gets to the end of it and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that they really are my enemy/taking the p*ss, they get BOTH barrells! (metaphorically of course!)
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