Images that move me

Images that move me
by Langdon Graves

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

raining on my parade

I had an emotionally moving conversation last night that has made me question two principals that I believe I hold inside:

1. Nobody wants to hear about it when you're sad
2. It's better to have a "can do" positive attitude than to admit you are sad and lonely.

Okay, so everybody gets sad. And it isn't bad to be sad. But in American culture, it is inappropriate to share your sadness. "don't bring everybody down"

Our valuable American "can do!" spirit is wonderful for achieving great things in a short time, but makes it difficult to admit perhaps you feel that you "can't do" or may not "be able to do".

I suffer sometimes from a loneliness in the city that I just swallow as my own pity party. (well, technically, it's not a pity party because no one but me is invited....) But sometimes admitting that you are sad and afraid makes it possible for you to achieve something because you can acknowledge the task is difficult and then soldier on.

hmmm....