So who knows, or even cares, if I'm alive, if I draw breath ? If I hurt? If I cry ? If I live or if I die? It is said that more suicides occur during the Christmas holidays than at any time of year. For some reason this time of year, a time we equate with joy and happiness, finds many alone and depressed. Overlooked, forgotten. A sense of foreboding, loneliness. That tree in the forest, falling silently, no one around to hear the crash of its fall.
How many will actually take the time to read this ? How many to leave a comment? One? Two? No one ?
I have yet to met the person who longs to be a nobody, a person of no importance. Even though we may not admit, we all have a desire, a hope or aspiration to achieve or become "Alpha". We have our dreams of stardom, fame, fortune but in reality we know that very few are those who truly attain these goals, and of those that do some have labored long and hard for their rewards while others seem to have the prize fall into their laps. So what is the formula, the magic incantation that will transform us from run of the mill to top of the hill ?
We've all heard it said that anything is possible if we only work hard enough, plan long enough, dream big enough, and all we have to be is positive, that a positive attitude will get you positive results. True to some extent, but how many have gone out faithfully each week to purchase lottery tickets, positive that one ticket (perhaps it will be "this" ticket) will make them a mega millionaire ? Just how many have won those fatted lotteries, or for that matter the Publisher's Clearing House's sweepstakes ?
To be continued...
Posts
Wow! Powerful stuff. I think that a lot of people run around like crazy over the holidays so they are distracted from the very thing you mention, loneliness. We all experience it from time to time. We crave to have alone time but nobody craves loneliness. We are social being and need to be with others. So much for evolution :)
ReplyDeleteBut then, look at your plant surviving and re-enforcing Darwins theory.
Looking forward to more, Have a wonderful weekend, regards, T. :)
The holidays are a big one for most mental and behavioral health professionals--dealing with it and coping with the amount of people who are suffering loneliness and depression.
ReplyDeleteThe elderly are certainly suffering--those who have no family close by or who aren't invited into family events because of age and or distance. There are the ones who don't have family to celebrate with either--and that can be anyone.
I'll wait for the next post and see what you have to say.
It's true that positive thinking is a very powerful thing but I think of it as just keeping an upbeat attitude and although I may never become a lottery winner, there are things that happen just right, simply because I know they will. Yesterday I was meeting my SIL at one of the busiest malls in our area for lunch but I just knew I'd get a good spot. Got to the lot, circled just 1 row & there was my spot, 3 from the entrance. The most important part of positive thinking is to be thankful so I thanked the parking gods AND those people for being awesome.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, not to say that I don't get sad or go through bouts of depression here or there but generally I try to be happy. Turning off the news definitely helps. Hope all is well & I'm sending you some hugs, sounds like you might need a few :-) Looking forward to your next thoughts & enjoyed your shadow shot.
T@PoppyPlace - Happiness comes and goes and for the best part of time we tend to happy, or at least contented. But when we do get down, really down, it is nice to have people around who care. Thanks for reminding me about that little poinsettia, I dug that baby up and replanted it in 3 different locations trying to keep it out of harms way...thankfully the last spot seemed to be the charm that worked.
ReplyDeleteCathryn - You're 100% right. I think this time of year is the hardest on the elderly. They've lived a long life and during that time they have lost many people who were dear to them. At Christmas time there are very few family members left and all too often they don't have the time or they simply forget about old great-grandpa or great-great-aunt Myrtle alone in an assisted living facility.
Jenn - I've gotten so I never read the front section of the newspapers...to negative. Just wish I could do something about my internet provider...Roadrunner...the first thing that greets me is all the news unfit to print. LOL When I used to have Comcast I was able to chose my home page content and instead of news I picked scientific discoveries and oddities. Was entertaining and definitely not the downer that a lot of breaking news stories are. Yes I was pretty happy with the way the shadow shots turned out...had that touch of ghostliness to them. :)