Saturday, March 6, 2010

Dissociating from the Chiding Moment

WE ALL HAVE MOMENTS THAT approach the insane. A key surely is to raise the internal alarm and beckon an appropriate response—that which has to dissociate us for a time relating to the actual crude burden we face; the excruciating reality impinging emotionally and spiritually, a.k.a. the conniption.

To dissociate is to plainly look the other way and do it in a way so powerfully i.e. with effect that we escape the moment skilfully to remain for another. We live to fight another day.

This is a slick way which is not about escape clauses at every turn—it’s knowing and responding to our limits and making the right moves to ensure we maintain our poise and self-control.

I don’t know about you but I can’t see the sense in remaining in maddening situations that expose my worst faults and leave me vacantly exposed, if I can help it. Life doesn’t make sense in these situations and “refuge” is the right place to go to. The only real problem presents when we find ourselves habitually seeking that safe haven. Then we’ve got a problem!

But, if we’re only occasionally finding life acutely sparing there’s no issue in taking a ‘mental health day’ or even a five minute break for that breath of sanity.

The chiding moments in life are designed to stretch us and test our characters, strengthening us, but the elastic band stretches only so far before it snaps back violently. We’re loath to go there. It can only end awkwardly, messily and with embarrassment and need of recovery and apology—and at times, unfortunately, it can go even further, especially if forgiveness and reconciliation aren’t possible.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.

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