Have you ever felt like gravity was pulling you down? Sitting on a stool in the kitchen my shoulders hunch over. It feels like there’s a lead weight tied to my brain. If 1G holds us to this Earth, I’ve certainly got 2G’s of weight on my shoulders. The resistance that holds my head up has dissipated. Grabbing a seat on the couch I can’t help but go horizontal. When I lay in bed the mattress sucks me in and won’t let go. I’m being pulled into nothing by an invisible force. There’s so much out there for me but this heaviness won’t leave. Putting on some music, I go directly to Shinedown. ‘Save Me’ is flowing through my conscience, putting me at ease. I want to cry (I always want to cry) but for whom? Is it self pity or empathy for others? Debilitating and suffocating, this force of nature is a very real thing. What’s worse, the weight or the wait? The gravity of this situation is not lost on me as the weight of my world is unyielding. The wait for things to straighten themselves out and feel better is also unyielding. Seether’s ‘Rise Above This’ starts playing. Writing and music are my solace. It helps to know someone else has gone through this too. I can identify when I’m hurting but the ‘wait’ for it to get better never ends. Many of our family, friends, and neighbors suffer in silence. We have to help each other. We can’t afford to wait. Stop with the ‘oh, they’re ok, I’ll give them a call later’. They will resist. Force your way back into their lives. Let them know, “You mean something to me. I am here for you.” Every little interaction matters.
****After 4 decades of ‘fighting the demons of life’ this author speaks for those without a voice. Use his experience to enlighten yourselves and break out of your bubble. Some of the articles on this site are not for the faint hearted. If it was uncomfortable for you to read this piece; please stop, go back to your fantasy world, and pretend everything is perfect. For more, visit Wayward Redemption at danielthomasjr.com
DANIEL THOMAS, JR 