Depression - The Green Eyed Beast

All over the world, millions of people suffer from depression. Psychiatrists would define depression as a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. A good friend showed great trust in me by confiding that she had been struggling with depression for many years and began listing off what she perceived were her shortcomings. As she gave her summation of how she was living a thoroughly unremarkable and entirely unsatisfactory life, I couldn't help but see the similarities of what all she had related to me. Unemployed, not attending school, barely able to attend church regularly, romantically stonewalled, and socially awkward. With each point she named specific examples of who out shined her and in what ways. My ultimate theory, and I told her thus, is that simply put depression is an overactive bout of jealousy. Jealous of the inability to conform and/or stand apart socially, jealous of others abundance of material goods that they take them for granted. Being, at least in my opinion, very similar I would suggest similar methods of conquering depression as one would use to combat jealousy. Take these steps:

• Admit you have a problem, at least to yourself. Denying feelings leads not only to shame and guilt, but also to sadness, helplessness, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The traits depression patients most exhibit.
• Once you have admitted to your worldwide jealousy, start to fight back against it. They say the best revenge is living well and I know that when the chips are down you hate hearing that, but when your enemy is yourself, such a vengeance is mutually beneficial.
• The best way to eliminate jealousy, and by that I mean depression, is to take steps to attain what it is you desire. If even that is beyond you, take solace that you didn't spend time and resources on a fad that can only last so long.

I have always hoped that my little bits of philosophy add a bit of comfort to those who read it, but with this post the message is doubly so. The Declaration of Independence states that all are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With that in mind, go live life, enjoy your freedom, and pursue some happiness.

A Cynic, A Pessimist, And A Realist...

Cynicism is, for good reason, almost a taboo belief. Its bottom line is that everyone has ulterior motives for everything they do every day. Ergo humans by nature are untrustworthy. These are the people that believe the waiter intentionally only half filled their glass. Pessimism is when one focuses on all the negative aspects of a given subject, forgetting or denying the positive. These are the "half empty" type. Finally, there is Realism. Realism is, potentially, the coldest of the three. They see the glass just as it is. They know that though it is unlikely that the waiter has a vendetta against them, they allow for it. They see their glass as the first of many potentially glasses of varying volume, because life by nature is consistent only in being inconsistent. There are no miracles, only what can happen will happen. Every day we meet these characters, sometimes when we look in the mirror in the morning. Each is passionate about their belief may often attempt to force them on you. At each encounter, after analyzing the argument you must decide what type of person you are. Pessimist or Optimist? Realist or Idealist? It may surprise you just how inconsistent you may be. An optimist with a run of bad luck may begin to develop pessimistic thoughts of his future. Similarly, an idealist may be forced to come to grips with the reality of his situation or be condemned to be trapped in a dream world. As you trudge through the balmy marshes of everyday life remember this truth: Nobody but you decides how you react to each situation. You are the master of your mind and you are free to change it or not whenever you like.

Chocolate's only Semi Sweet

Shakespeare was the first to use the phrase "too much of a good thing" in literature. It is a phrase that emphasizes that excess can be harmful and that even the richest things in life should be moderated. The world's most popular examples: Money, Power, Love, Authority. The real troubles with having so much of something are that it inspires jealousy and you may not be able to handle it. Politicians are assassinated, the wealthy are manipulated, the passionate scorned, and the authoritative ignored every day since man began. In our quest for more, we pull each other down like crabs in a bucket. It isn't a bad thing to want to improve your quality of life, but when quality becomes quantity people will start to resent you, including yourself. So how does one decide what the limits are for each of us individually? The most elegant way I have heard this philosophy was by Rudyard Kipling in his poem "If." I include a portion of the work here.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Simply put, you could have all that there is in material possessions, but have some humility because in this world all that we poses can be taken from us. Its the effect you've had on others that will determine whether you lived a worth while life, not the number of things you've accumulated. When the day is over, it won't matter who loved the most, but who loved the best.

Everyday Actors

At the start of ev'ry day,
From the first clear shining ray,
We don the costume that we show the world.

From the way we comb our hair,
To the very clothes we wear,
Care I to see just how your lashes curl?

Like some actors in a show,
Dolling up the best we know,
In hiding from a cruel and unkind time.

When you're asked to give your choice,
Act as though you have no voice,
"You surely cannot in your two cents chime."

Bust'ling back and forth to make,
Masks that all through life we take,
To hide ourselves in plain sight, as it were.

For its what we fear the most,
If while through this life we coast,
That the world tests to see our will is sure.

And when they test your mettle,
Your nitch in life you'll settle,
Perhaps you will be ready then when asked,

To discard your old disguise,
And discover just how wise,
It is to cause yourself to be unmasked.

Pygmalion Re-Formed

When I was just nineteen
A more beautiful girl I'd never seen
Than the one I had created in my mind.

She's chic and understanding,
Sensitive though not withstanding,
The fact that "playing nice" can be unkind.

Like a master artisan,
Carving as carefully as he can,
In hopes his masterpiece should come to life,

I sculpt her flowing hair,
Taking traits from here and there,
To build a mate for liberty and strife.

But through this fantasy,
I damn myself you see,
With expectation that cannot be met.

And so I must myself away,
From my dream girl for to stay,
In the real world where my feet are set.

For My Faithful Readers

It occurs to me that because my blog has few pictures (none of them of babies) and because I have no wife and kids or garden to write about, what I have to write is of no importance. Well, I wrote this blog knowing that it would not be as popular as some, but it still pains me to see that there aren't any new comments to my posts. Perhaps I need to broaden my target audience. Therefore, I will heed the suggestion of my elder sister Nancy and include some of the poetry I have written. I hope those who read this will soon check my blog again for my latest writings and spread the word.