One could only be assured that it would only be a matter of DAYS before my little 'Let's Love One Another,' Leave No Mentally Ill Behind policy would be put to the test.
I left the homestead today to get myself vittles at one of the local fast food rest-a-raunts. As I'm pulling up to pay, it is apparent that a teenage-to-twenty year-old is sitting on the cement in front of me and crying. Really hard. Trying to cover it with her hands, but in fact sobbing.
My first reaction? I am a creature of truth, and some even hate me for it, most adore it, so I'm not gonna tell a lie. I was like, "Oh, crap."
My main thing is that I don't work at a suicide hotline, I go to the local mental health county crap but would have to read the number out of my cellphone to someone else, not hand them a card.
In other words, I didn't feel like any kind of reference, my experience in life clearly doesn't match most (if you look at me I'm SUPPOSED to be a frazzled mother of 2-10 human children, either oozing with important things to say, or maybe not).
Also, my family instills in me that I am not the Saviour of the World, because having had some moments when I really thought that about myself (thankfully, not for too long, cause thoughts move quickly at those moments) well, they freak out if I start acting that way. It's a careful line that I don't want to cross, or give people the impression of. That is what crazy people do.:) And I've been trying to hide that for sooooo long!
I get literally torn between what a normie would (or Should do) and what is crazy. And which is right! And you normies thought YOU have it bad!!
But, what I did do is pull over in the parking spaces and mull everything from paragraphs above around in my head. I didn't want to just leave the situation, get back on the main thoroughfare, head home, and wonder about the poor dear for the rest of damn day.
I was torn, I DIDN'T WANT TO BOTHER HER, but it just looked like someone should sit down with her and ask her what was wrong. And listen. And it being me, I would be able to say in honesty, "well, I don't know everything about that, but please know that someone cares about you."
But her boyfriend drove up and all I could muster in the time allowed, as she rounded the frontof his car, was, "Honey, are you okay?" As she kept holding her stomach and looked truly physically pained and nodded yes (You know women, we're dying but we tell pure strangers that we are, "Just fine! Happy face!!)" She got into his car and collapsed on his shoulder.
I'm not sure what this 'taught' me. It seemed like a big deal, because she was out there and looking so unhappy, and fitting the parameters of 'we should comfort people' but My God, it is so hard. The truth is, I did not want to look like an idiot. I really don't know what more to say.
Friday, October 12, 2007
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3 comments:
Are you ok? do you need help? stuff like this..... I dont think there is a miss manners on situations like this. Personally I think I would go for the "whats wrong honey"?
That is pretty much what I did say to her, "Honey, are you okay?" as she got in what looked like her boyfriend's car.
She was clutching her stomach at that point, and she 'may' have been pregnant. So I think this person was having physical issues, but when she was sitting there crying, it could have been mental issues.
And that's the thing. I think we prefer it to be physical, because a lot of times, that is fixable.
I'm still on watch. Maybe we should watch for an out and out flip out. I guess this was a false alarm.
But I'm all good, ty for asking Raine. I try to be really careful about all this, for all the reasons I stated. I'm not upset or messed up at all.:)
Tart
that was awefully sweet of you... it's doin things like this that make the difference for folks.. you never know she may remember years down the road that a complete stranger took the time out to ask her if she was ok and it makes her smile and gives her hope for people in genearl..
thank you;)
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