“The creativity well seems bone dry here also, along with the wells of patience and tolerance. Speaking candidly, I am tired. My marrow has been sucked dry. The only bits of inspiration come from the scraps of what I’m afraid is obliged positivity I toss out into the world, with the hopes some might come back to me. We should have waffles soon if you’re up to it.”
I shared these words with a close friend recently. My emotions and outlook ebb more than the Bay of Fundy tides (highest in the world), even within a single response, and I have no doubt I’m not alone.
You know that cringy exasperated look people get when they ask you how it’s going as a means of small talk, and you thought they wanted real talk, so you laid it all out? It makes me sweaty just thinking about it.
I’ve always been wildly guarded and private about who I shared my struggles with, but the last many months has changed this for me. I’m continually working to find a balance of how forthcoming and candid I should now be with people when they ask how I’m doing.
Context is everything, but I’ve concluded speaking plainly and from the heart is the most cathartic and assured thing I can do for myself and others.
How are you managing the emotional waves and small talk?
