04 December 2005

Seasonal Disaffection

Feeling a bit blank?
Tempted to take a long walk off a short pier?
Thinking 'Sod this for a game of soldiers?'
Got a snowball's hope in hell of staying in one piece?
Has the world got you arse over tit?
Feeling a sandwich short of a picnic?
Feel as much use as a chocolate poker?

Well now. It could be S.A.D.
It could just be well deserved exhaustion.
It could also be a grumbling subconscious outrage at meaningless consumerism
and the rush like lemmings to be seen to be having a good time.It could be your soul trying to ask you "Why are we doing this?" or more pertinently "Why am I doing this?"
That's not such a bad thing, it means you already know what should be done first, instead.

Handy Hint: The peace that passes all understanding is a by-product of the same state that inspires faith, hope and charity.

Faith: Know you are working for the best for others, so that faith that things will work out is not in spite of what you are/are not doing.

Hope: Do what you can to cheer the next guy so you have the right to hope. Everyone's hope for this life needs somebody else to actuate it, things don't normally fall from the sky.

Charity: There is no 'why' to seeking out and helping someone worse off than you, excepting that you know a little of how they feel, and that little is bad enough. None except that faith and hope are hollow and meaningless if you are not prepared to be part of the solution.

But there is one wonderful side effect. If you feel the cloud over your head is as black as it gets, then all it takes is to settle alongside a darker one, to start to make out the silver lining that was there all along.

Dedicated to Doris, Zilla, Fineartist, ME Strauss, Badaunt, Jane, Milt, Bart, Ally, Astryngia and - don't let me do a Gwyneth - the list goes on. You know who you are, or I pray you do. You have built me up all year, never mind Christmas and if I could dish out Peace Beyond Understanding as a Christmas gift, well you know you'd all be on my list. Thanks, Guys.

[POLLYANNA MODE: OFF]

9 comments:

Jennifer said...

Thank you! You're the best, Cheryl. Your gingerbread man gives me an idea :-)

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thank you for this, said so eloquently. It was something I needed to, longed to hear someone say in this time, in this place. You are an inspiration in your sheer humanity. Funny, fun, clever, self-deprecating, honest, intelligent, generous, a writer, a friend, a decent human being.

Rain said...

You tapped into my mood this weekend. Thanks

Miss Cellania said...

Great post! I discovered the hard way that you have to lift your own spirits. About this time last year, I was in the depths of depression and knew I HAD to do something. They say the best way to make yourself happy is to do soemthing for others, so I started a new hobby of passing along jokes and things to make others smile.

Things are looking better this year. I hope so also for you and all your readers, too!

Anonymous said...

thank you, Cheryl, for this post - like little lifeboats for those of us who feel like we fell into the river and are heading helplessly toward the rapids of Christmas, oh yeah!

fineartist said...

I love you Cheryl, okay before you puke, or I get really sappy, I’m going.

But first, thank you for the peace, laughter and friendship.

Doris said...

Aww thank you! I love your pictorial post - I'd love to do that some time. Great idea. As for your message, I can relate to that too. You know I haven't been around because I've been off fire-fighting, again!!! But all good stuff for a change.

Le laquet said...

I'm SAD ~ need sun and a bit of daylight not just through a classroom window!

Ally said...

Thank you [hug]. Very well timed.

BTW, you have also just rung a kiwi-fruit-and-latex bell with me from your post over at Dorises.