Hey! How are you? Once again, it's been a while. Since I last wrote on here almost a year ago, so much has transpired. Just the last few months have been a crazy whirlwind of events and emotions around the world. I'm not going to attempt to summarise, or apologise for my lack of writing. I've simply not been mentally available.
And so, that simple question, how are you? is quite apt today. I'd like to share my thoughts on it with the world.
"Hey! How are you?"
"Y'alright?"
"How's it going"
"Hi, What's up?"
A friendly greeting falls easily from our mouths when we see friends, acquaintances, and when we feel it's socially appropriate, to strangers too. But do we mean it, really? Do you expect a casual parrot response of that same greeting in return? What if that person says "No, I'm really not ok"?
"I'm good thanks, how are you?"
"Alright"
"Yeah, good, you?"
"Sup."
Do we mean it when we give those off hand responses? Is it just a way to acknowledge the other person in a friendly way. When was 'Hello' not enough? and why? Why must we always be jabbering on about how we feel, talking talking talking....
Don't get me wrong, it's good to talk. It seems essential to us as humans to be able to talk freely, and having friends to confide in, to talk with and not watch your words, to muddle out a sentence and make up sounds and gestures as you go to get across a point when words fail you, to not be judged while you do so and just know you can get it out, you can blah blah blah ljdviuxg;vl/jsnfkeiluyzg cieudf/ljhFd, *sigh*.
I have a few friends like this, and sometimes they really get it, they ask if I'm ok and this waterfall of messy words cascades out of me, and I sigh and often I don't even need them to respond, I don't expect them to have the answer, I don't need them to tell me what to do, where to go or how to deal with my situation. But I feel better somehow. Someone knows what I'm going through. The turmoil I feel inside is released, it's shared, and I'm not alone. And suddenly i'm not in the darkness any more. Often I see the answers for myself by just getting the issues in the open.
Other times, 'yeah, i'm doing ok, you?' I make an assessment, it's on the spot and almost instantaneous. There's this worry on my mind, and there's this thing happened this morning, I've got troubles, but equally I have things I'm looking forward to, I'm happy with that thing that happened at lunch time and I just ate chocolate so.... yeah on the whole I'm ok and I don't want to bore you with the intricate details of that assessment, just yeah, lets enjoy our time together doing what we are doing or continue politely on to our seperate tasks ahead.
I'm doing fantastic!
I once worked at a racing stables, and the owner there said something to me. I can't remember how he phrased it but it left a lasting impression. He'd asked a few times if I was ok, and while I was muddling along in my job, yeah I was ok maybe a bit tired... and then he was like 'come on, why aren't you fantastic, life is good your alive.' Basically cheer up or let out your troubles, but get out of no man's land. Don't settle for ok. (I'm not sure if that's what he meant, but that's the impression he left. Does it matter what he meant? My interpretation has helped me on numerous occasions. (That interpretation is possibly somewhat different now than my initial interpretation, the mind can change memories and it's been a long time, but that's a discussion for another time).
SO, HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
Whether you get in touch to actually tell me, type it out and delete it, talk next time you see me, you are just fine or if you are in fact doing fabulous, get out of no mans land. If you're doing great, SAY SO, if not, find the friends who let you talk or a way to let it out, write a blog, call or face time the friend who always says 'I'm here if you need a chat', I promise you'll feel better, you'll either fix your problems, share them, talk utter random non sense with a friend or maybe, just maybe you'll acknowledge just how wonderful you are.
Be fantastic and let your crazy light shine!
For anyone who wants to know, I'm feeling relieved, my energy is mostly spent and today is a day to put some ducks in a row and recharge my batteries, I feel lighter and content.
On the day I took this picture I was feeling happy, and in a moment left alone with my phone, where the world beyond my phone on the www was simply boring, I took some pretty photos of my surroundings to be able to revisit in my mind at another time, and then I felt silly and this happened, which I can also revisit later, and feel silly once again.
And so, that simple question, how are you? is quite apt today. I'd like to share my thoughts on it with the world.
"Hey! How are you?"
"Y'alright?"
"How's it going"
"Hi, What's up?"
A friendly greeting falls easily from our mouths when we see friends, acquaintances, and when we feel it's socially appropriate, to strangers too. But do we mean it, really? Do you expect a casual parrot response of that same greeting in return? What if that person says "No, I'm really not ok"?
"I'm good thanks, how are you?"
"Alright"
"Yeah, good, you?"
"Sup."
Do we mean it when we give those off hand responses? Is it just a way to acknowledge the other person in a friendly way. When was 'Hello' not enough? and why? Why must we always be jabbering on about how we feel, talking talking talking....
Don't get me wrong, it's good to talk. It seems essential to us as humans to be able to talk freely, and having friends to confide in, to talk with and not watch your words, to muddle out a sentence and make up sounds and gestures as you go to get across a point when words fail you, to not be judged while you do so and just know you can get it out, you can blah blah blah ljdviuxg;vl/jsnfkeiluyzg cieudf/ljhFd, *sigh*.
I have a few friends like this, and sometimes they really get it, they ask if I'm ok and this waterfall of messy words cascades out of me, and I sigh and often I don't even need them to respond, I don't expect them to have the answer, I don't need them to tell me what to do, where to go or how to deal with my situation. But I feel better somehow. Someone knows what I'm going through. The turmoil I feel inside is released, it's shared, and I'm not alone. And suddenly i'm not in the darkness any more. Often I see the answers for myself by just getting the issues in the open.
Other times, 'yeah, i'm doing ok, you?' I make an assessment, it's on the spot and almost instantaneous. There's this worry on my mind, and there's this thing happened this morning, I've got troubles, but equally I have things I'm looking forward to, I'm happy with that thing that happened at lunch time and I just ate chocolate so.... yeah on the whole I'm ok and I don't want to bore you with the intricate details of that assessment, just yeah, lets enjoy our time together doing what we are doing or continue politely on to our seperate tasks ahead.
I'm doing fantastic!
I once worked at a racing stables, and the owner there said something to me. I can't remember how he phrased it but it left a lasting impression. He'd asked a few times if I was ok, and while I was muddling along in my job, yeah I was ok maybe a bit tired... and then he was like 'come on, why aren't you fantastic, life is good your alive.' Basically cheer up or let out your troubles, but get out of no man's land. Don't settle for ok. (I'm not sure if that's what he meant, but that's the impression he left. Does it matter what he meant? My interpretation has helped me on numerous occasions. (That interpretation is possibly somewhat different now than my initial interpretation, the mind can change memories and it's been a long time, but that's a discussion for another time).
SO, HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
Whether you get in touch to actually tell me, type it out and delete it, talk next time you see me, you are just fine or if you are in fact doing fabulous, get out of no mans land. If you're doing great, SAY SO, if not, find the friends who let you talk or a way to let it out, write a blog, call or face time the friend who always says 'I'm here if you need a chat', I promise you'll feel better, you'll either fix your problems, share them, talk utter random non sense with a friend or maybe, just maybe you'll acknowledge just how wonderful you are.
Be fantastic and let your crazy light shine!
For anyone who wants to know, I'm feeling relieved, my energy is mostly spent and today is a day to put some ducks in a row and recharge my batteries, I feel lighter and content.
On the day I took this picture I was feeling happy, and in a moment left alone with my phone, where the world beyond my phone on the www was simply boring, I took some pretty photos of my surroundings to be able to revisit in my mind at another time, and then I felt silly and this happened, which I can also revisit later, and feel silly once again.
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