A joy shared is a joy doubled.
A problem shared is a problem halved.
Sometimes it's good to share a problem. Despite the fact that I talk about myself almost endlessly here, I'm still surprisingly reticent to talk about some things. Things that trigger my defences. Things about myself that I label FAILURE to myself on some level.
Oh sure, I'm one of the more self-deprecating people on the planet at times. A lot of my humour is certainly directed at myself. There are few scared cows there when I think a laugh is in the offing.
I'm much more open in person than I am on this blog. I keep some things back, I guess not because I think Das Internetz is a scary or hostile place, but some things are just more intimate. Better for a conversation that toos and fros, that involves disclosing and sharing, than a more one-sided forum like a blog. Not a lot, but a few things. Having said that, comments do make this much less of a one-way conversation with the ether.
Anyhoo. I just had a good yarn with my boss (of all people) about some of the stuff going on in my life at present. Medical problems, the ocassional doses of the blues. Sure I glossed over some things, and left some things out, but it was still a pretty open and frank discussion. It might sound like a poor choice or ill advised person to disclose things to. Not really in this instance though. He's a great young guy (about 15 years my junior), a social worker by training and inclination, and a person who is both a Big C and small c Christian. Kind but not judgemental.
He shared some of his similar experiences, and in the process we both got to understand each other a bit better. Maybe I wouldn't have had the conversation with him if I wasn't a contractor, and he hadn't asked how I was doing. Who knows? It certainly wasn't planned.
I've done my own fair share of counsellor training, years back when I did volunteer telephone counselling, and I had to smile when I saw his slight internal gear shift to counselling mode. The focussed attention, the slight shift in posture, the steady gaze, all the little 'contextual attending' signals that say "I'm not judging, just listening". As I said, it made me smile.
11 comments:
that was a thoughtful post; thank you for it.
You're welcome! :)
Moments like that are a blessing and are what life is about....sharing with the right company.
Word, sista
Small c? Big C? You mean he's a c*nt and a christian?
I kid, I kid. Glad to hear you're feeling better today. Only two days til the weekend!
Speaking of the weekend, are you showing your mug at Buzzzbar on Saturday? I'm on babysitting duty Saturday, so I'll have the Mo in attendance :-)
2 days and counting, right?
Oh, is it the Newtown Flickr group meet at Buzzzbar this Sat? I haven't checked Flickr for a few days. Sure! Especially if your bringing the little one. Unless you meant of course that you're bringing a 'mo, in which case that's still an incentive.
Haha, I'm not conceited enough to refer to my moustache with a capital M. Elmo is often referred to as The Little Big Man, or The Mo for short :-)
Spanish. El Mo. Geddit? (I know, I know) I'm still trying to find a Groucho Marx type fake moustache that would fit him now.
Actually Herr Laubscher, around these parts the term 'mo = homo. Hah ha! Surprised?
Ah great. How conceited do I look right about now? It's all about me and my moustache, don'tcha know? I swear that damn apostrophe wasn't in your comment when I first read it! :-)
Tell yourself whatever you need to, 'mkay? :)
Not that your mo (no apostrophe) isn't a perfectly handsome and snackworthy one of course. IMHO.
Oh stoppit :-)
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