I have approached this whole suddenly-out-of-work situation with an air of great calm. Oh, that's not to say I haven't gone through the standard stages of disbelief, denial, fear, bargaining, shame, depression, self-pity, and the rest.*
It seems like I should be handling this with a great deal more panic and terror. But, see, I've got a secret coping mechanism.
A month before I lost my job I was introduced to the blog The Babblings of Whimsicalbrainpan. After reading the story of The Fire...well, that put a lot of things in perspective. (Start here and then work your way down through the seven entries under the heading of The Fire right-hand sidebar.)
So whenever I'm feeling like I just can't cope, whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed by life or just plain unhappy with the way things are going for me, I remember what she went through. I remember how she came through it and is able to blog about it. And I think to myself: What the hell do I have to complain about?
And that's how I cope. That's how I deal with it.
*These stages are lifted from page 142 of Matt Groening's The Big Book of Hell, from Childhood Is Hell, Chapter 17: D-I-V-O-R-S-E. He also includes the stages of anger (haven't hit that yet), out-of-body experience, empty feeling, looking ahead, and secret hope.
The narcissistic primarily autobiographical blog of the pseudonymous d.b. echo
I just wanted you to know, after reading this post I went and read all of WhimsicalBrainPan's fire posts; I'm just starting "Loose Ends." I'm - speechless. As you said, looking at that, what can we possibly complain about? And what a writer that woman is!
ReplyDeleteI am afraid to read it. I think it may make me cry. Alot of times looking at my sister puts life in perspective for me.
ReplyDeleteAs you know Harold, her and her husband have been dealt many health blows.
You are right, things could always be worse.