Blocking Out The World

This is an excerpt from an entry written in Momastery, by Glennon Doyle Melton.

"Because yes, I’ve got these conditions—anxiety, depression, addiction—and they almost killed me. But they are also my superpowers. I’m the canary in the mine and you need my sensitivity because I can smell toxins in the air that you can’t smell, see trouble you don’t see and sense danger you don’t feel. My sensitivity could save us all. And so instead of letting me fall silent and die — why don’t we work together to clear some of this poison from the air?"

Did you know there are people who have this acute level of sensitivity to every crappy stimuli thrown at them, from the outside world? Think about this. All the devastation, cruelty, discrimination, and evil, that we are constantly bombarded with, they can not block out. Damn. Unfortunately, the younger version of myself had no idea there were people so deeply affected. Honestly, I probably categorized them as being overly dramatic, or worse yet... weak.     

Cringe.  

I, for better or for worse, have the ability to tune out the harsh realities of our world. I live in our (currently) comfortable Beck-Bubble  As long as my "people" are happy and healthy, life is good.  Am I making a difference in the world at large? No. But for whatever reason, at this stage of my life, it's enough.

Imagine being unable to reach this level of contentment because somewhere far, far away, others are suffering.

What a burden to have to carry. Those who are graced with at least one of Glennon's "superpowers" are most likely having difficulty dealing with recent current events. I'm sure (and SO hope) there were viewers left shaking their heads, after watching the presidential debate. But for some, it was so powerfully overwhelming that they cried themselves to sleep. And while "Black Lives Matter" has basically become a household phrase, there are those plagued with a sense of guilt because they were born in America, with white skin. These two examples only touch the surface...

I'm not saying everyone who is mentally different (because who isn't?) has a responsibility to go out and save the world. But I do think it's important to be aware of the various ways people may process the crap-storm of information that is constantly circling around us. Obviously it's much less complicated for some, than it is for others.

And I'm now unabashedly aware that this has absolutely no bearing on a person's level of mental weakness or strength.

Thank you.

Us Too