Observations

[beowabbit]

First, a special shout out to my homies in the land of aloha: It was gorgeous here today. It must have gotten up into the fifties! I actually went out with nothing more than a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater, long pants, and heavy shoes! It was glorious!

So I’ve noticed recently that I have a number of new friends I didn’t have a few years ago. And that’s noteworthy. See, I used to have lots of good close friends. And then in the six months or so before docorion and sionnagh moved away (to the aforementioned land of aloha), I didn’t have time or energy to maintain my existing friendships very well, much less make new friends. And in the couple years after they moved, I was too depressed to get out of the house much. I’m probably lucky that any of my friends stuck with me through that time. I was needy, lonely, yearning for connection but uncomfortable talking about the important things¹, and probably dreadfully boring. But I did, gradually, come out of that space. It’s an overstatement to say that everything’s better in my life, but I’m feeling better than I have in years.

And the interesting thing is that I’m noticing new friends in my life. It sort of happened without me paying attention, but now I’m noticing a lot of people in my life I didn’t know, or know well, a year or two ago. And one person I’d known casually for several years but hadn’t really gotten to know well and have much enjoyed doing so, and whose dance card I now seem to be written on in pen, which is truly lovely. And thanks to the miracles of BiCamp and LiveJournal, I’ve gotten back in touch with a few old friends. And I’ve gotten closer to some friends I was already connected to before docorion and sionnagh moved.

None of this is all that profound. It’s a matter of getting over the shock and loneliness, and the other complex emotions, enough to actually be fun to be around again, and enough to want to be around people again; and just as loneliness and depression is self-reinforcing, when I get well enough to start investing more energy into friends again, old and new, that becomes self-reinforcing. So once I started coming out of my hermit-hole, it was just a matter of time until I reached a happy tipping point.

I don’t know exactly what my point is or why I wanted to post this. It felt more coherent when I started typing. :-) I guess I wanted to both publicly acknowledge and thank the people who’ve come into my life recently, and the good long-term friends who listened and gave advice and supported me and let me cry on their shoulders when I wasn’t as much fun to be around, and also sort of acknowledge myself for having worked through the hard times² and gotten to a good place again — rebuilt a personality that feels like my own again, that feels whole.³

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¹ Changing that, and actually deciding to look for support, is probably the one thing I did that most helped me get out of that rut.
² Which of course is an ongoing process, but it sure feels a lot easier than it used to.
³ Sounds maudlin and melodramatic, doesn’t it? That’s not how I feel while I’m writing it. And I feel weird about talking about my own depression and tribulations, since I know that by other people’s perfectly accurate yardsticks, they weren’t so great. But I still feel like I’ve accomplished something, and I’d still like to take a moment to appreciate it.

Comments

[jasra]

And I feel weird about talking about my own depression and tribulations, since I know that by other people’s perfectly accurate yardsticks, they weren’t so great. But I still feel like I’ve accomplished something, and I’d still like to take a moment to appreciate it.

See, it doesn't metter how your depression compares to anyone else's (ymmv). It's yours. And you've gotten through it and seem to (from your post) come out shiny and new on the other side. That's the important part. Congratulations on the return of your self.

[beowabbit]

Out of curiosity, how did you stumble on my journal? And have I met you in person? There’s certainly a fair amount of overlap on our friends lists, but not enough for me to place you. (If somebody I haven’t met in person is reading my journal, well, that’s just cool!)

Congratulations on the return of your self.

Thank you. That phrase is strikingly apt.

[jasra]

previous comment I left

I sent you email recently (per your request) - Lisa Wilson. I kind of think I met you when I visited Boston last weekend.

[beowabbit]

Whoops, sorry; sometimes I think I have as much of a memory as this gecko. (Unfortunately, I can’t find your email. Not sure if that’s because I didn’t get it, because I got it but haven’t managed to pick it out of my overflowing inbox, or if I got it, read it, and filed it Someplace Safe. :-) I did, however, find your post about last weekend — glad you had such a good time! And it’s nice to have probably met you at the party. :-)

[jasra]

I resent it. I suspect we'll cross paths again (what with the friend crossover). I hope to spend more time back east this year (and relocate if my friends and family have anything to say about it).

[beowabbit]

Excellent! As I said in my email, I’m glad to see cool people moving east to Boston, since the West steals enough of the good people from Boston.

[beowabbit]

... as much of a memory as this gecko ...

(I used to have a gecko userpic which I had used for this comment.)

[docorion.livejournal.com]

"I feel weird about talking about my own depression and tribulations, since I know that by other people’s perfectly accurate yardsticks, they weren’t so great"

Well, they were enough to make your friends worry, including the said docorion and sionnagh, as well as others (who I'm sure can speak for themselves, and in at least one case I know they have). So I'd say they were impressive enough. Glad you feel better.

As for the weather, woohoo!! That bodes well for my eventual Great Bike Trip Across America, if it's warming up by now.

(Homies? :-)

[beowabbit]

(Homies? :-)

Well, we do own a home together.

[docorion.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, but I don't think I've ever been a "homey" before :-)

Nice new userpic, BTW.

[(Anonymous)]

If the having of trouble were a competition, only the worst-off person in the world would have a right to complain or ask for support or take their problems seriously. Clearly, this is nonsense. So you get to take your own troubles seriously no matter what objective size they are. And I think your situation is tough, actually. People tend to underestimate the anguish value of problems that don't involve blood or starvation.

I'm glad life is better now, and I think it's very cool that you understand that you did this for yourself.

Hugs,

Cory

[beowabbit]

If the having of trouble were a competition, only the worst-off person in the world would have a right to complain or ask for support or take their problems seriously. Clearly, this is nonsense.

Oh, yeah, I get that. I just wanted to acknowledge that other people have their own Big Stuff, much of which is bigger than mine. (But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to whinge, too. :-)

Thanks! *Hugs*.

[hawkegirl.livejournal.com]

I've really enjoyed lj giving us a chance to reconnect some, and even manifest that a bit into seeing eachother in person.

[beowabbit]

Me too! You’ve been somebody I wanted to get to know better for many years. You’re really nifty!