I’ve been slightly MIA for the past few months. I’m sorry about that. I just bought a house, and I’ve been busy with house stuffs. However, I cannot blame my lack of blog posts solely on my house. I’ve had plenty of time to write, I just haven’t been in the mood. Even when I’ve …
‘Tis my birthday…in a way
I have a thing about remembering people’s birthdays. I don’t know how I do it, honestly. I have a lot of my friends’ birthdates floating around in my head. I know people’s birthdays who don’t even know who I am anymore. Anyway! On most mornings, I think about what the date is, and riffle through …
My authentic self
Earlier this week, I posted a piece called Taking off the mask. It's about using humor to avoid vulnerability and to keep people at a safe distance emotionally. After some reflection, I’m afraid I inadvertently downgraded the benefits of humor. The cliché saying that laughter is the best medicine is not far from the truth. …
Taking off the mask
I saw the live-action Aladdin last week with two boys I babysit. One of the boys is ten years old and the other one is seven. We had the following conversation on the way home: D (10): Who do you think was the funnier Genie? The cartoon or this one? Me: Well, Robin Williams played …
Acceptance
I’m not sure what to write about this morning, so I am using a prompt from Beckie’s Mental Mess, a blog written by an amazing advocate for mental illnesses. She is also very supportive of other bloggers who want to share their stories about mental illness. When you first found out that you had a …
Dopamine and humor
I was a witty kid. I have vivid memories of instances of rather refined humor for a kid so young. The Left Behind series was huge when I was a kid, and we watched the movie several times. I knew what the rapture was and what it’s going to look like when it happens. We …
Enough
I love self-deprecating humor, and as a result, I am really good at giving myself backhanded compliments. Here is a list of my favorites: I’m not ugly. I’m smarter than most 5th graders. I have a respectable memory. I write goodly. I’m talented at pissing people off. When compared to people who don’t know how …
I love my meds!
When I was first diagnosed as bipolar, I was not happy about having to take medicine. I didn’t exactly refuse to take it, but I did bitch and moan about it for a while. My sister is also bipolar, and she’d been on some medicine for several years that worked really well for her. My …
Please don’t assign my moods
Even though I’m prone to melancholy, I love to laugh, and I especially love making other people laugh. Oftentimes, the best jokes stem from self-deprecation, and I’ll be the first person to make fun of myself. I particularly enjoy making crazy and bipolar jokes. I typically don’t mind other people making jokes, as long as …
Medicine’s unjust stigma
Bipolar and other mental illnesses have a stigma surrounding them, but they are more understood now than they were thirty years ago. One place, though, seems to be stuck in the dark ages. The church. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced too much criticism from my church family, but not everyone there knows about my illness. I’ve …
Between Two Poles 