Archive for December, 2009

Depression. Aint It a Bitch?

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

I certainly don’t mean to make a joke about how some people feel as I know there are varying levels of depression with some being very deep. But I do know when I went through a slight depression years ago in my early sobriety all I wanted was for the way I was feeling to end. I even began to understand why some people commit suicide. I wasn’t suicidal myself, but as I said it gave me an understanding of why people want to end their lives. I just wanted the feeling of sadness and dread to go away and feel normal again. I would have taken medication, but I was fortunate to talk to a therapist who wasn’t prescription happy. I do believe some of us need help through the use of medication, but I do wish more people would seek out the kind of support I had in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. Although the support came from other alcoholics and drug addicts, it helped to hear how others with more severe problems than myself, were still able to work through their depression and many even stop taking medication for it. The same goes for some of the teenagers I worked with. I saw how they were able to get well and learn how to combat depression with and without medication. There are many factors that are involved in depression and I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject. However, I believe if more people sought professional help and tried to find others to talk to who like them were going through depression, many of them could work through it and not only be happy again, but know they overcame one of the most debilitating things one can go through in life. I was fortunate like the many people who helped me to also find help at a spiritual level.  There were many times when I would fall down on my knees and pray to whatever God I thought there was to make the feeling go away or while in bed pray for help to get me through my depression and although it didn’t happen right away, I didn’t stop praying. I believe if my prayers would have been answered immediately I wouldn’t have learned how strong of a person I was. This was the beginning of the belief I have in myself today and it was certainly the beginning of my belief that there is something that created the Universe and life for a reason. I’m not sure what might have happened had I not asked other people for help and stopped asking God. But I do know what happened by doing both of those things and for that I am very grateful.

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What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love!

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Something that still frustrates me today is how some people can be so close minded when it comes to gay people. No one can deny that we’re all made up of the same stuff, and I feel that whatever created life and the Universe must have had a reason for why we’re “all” here. I personally believe it is to grow both spiritually and as a person, but it certainly doesn’t sound like someone is growing when they don’t at least try to understand other people and see there can be good in that person no matter what their sexual preferences are.  I personally try to understand others and not only try and see the good in all people, but to love the good I find in them. Now in all honesty I may not be able to truly love all people, and there are actually some people I simply don’t like, but I refuse to hate anyone. Hatred consumes us and prevents us from growing spiritually.  I don’t think everyone who is against a gay life style hates gay people, but many do seem consumed with anger over it, and this also stops our spiritual growth. I believe love really is the universal language, and if there was ever a time when we needed more of it, I would say it’s now. It’s been my experience, however, that we need to learn to love ourselves first, and I wonder how anyone can honestly say they do when they act in ways that are the complete opposite of loving anyone.

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Enough is Enough When Greed Comes Before Needs!

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

If there was ever a time for the saying “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” to be true, I believe it’s now. It’s simply a fact that oil companies and other big businesses are making money at a time when people are unemployed, or if working, have very little chance of getting a much needed raise, or have actually had their wages cut. I’m all for companies making a profit, and I have no problem with the people who worked hard to help make that profit to be financially rewarded, but when I hear how huge some of these profits and rewards are, it makes me wonder just how justified it is when so many working people and their families are struggling just to make ends meet. Of course I realize that some businesses, while also struggling, still try and take care of their employees, and that there are wealthy people who give back by donating money to various charities and helping the needy. However, the average American is need of help too, and many of them are beginning to lose hope that things will eventually be all right.  All I ask when it comes to how much money or material things anyone truly needs to have is, what’s not enough?  Is making ten or fifteen million dollars a year not enough? Or is making fifty or sixty million and even more a year still not enough? Is having three homes not enough? Or is having five or six homes still not enough?  What about having enough cars?  Is four or five not enough?  Or is having a collection of cars you may never drive still not enough?  And how many pieces of expensive jewelery is not enough?  Again, I know there are businesses out there who do take care of their employees, and that there are kindhearted wealthy people who understand the plight of the average American and want to help. But for some businesses and wealthy people, their greed is coming before peoples needs in this country, and there doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it.  Maybe all we can do to get through this situation is to keep trying to be a better person than we were before. Continue to have hope everything will be all right, even though it’s not. And believe as hard as we can that there is a reason for why things happen the way they do.  Although I have been doing these things, I know that many people out there have surely had enough of the rich getting richer and the average American getting poorer!

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