A few weeks ago, I cut my finger while I was chopping some
vegetables. Immediately, I did my default “thing”, applying a band aid to my
boo-boo. Naturally, this got me to thinking. And, in all honesty, it got me to
thinking about some things that I’ve been thinking about for many months now. More
specifically: “How many times do we put band aids on gaping wounds?”
Of course, I’m not talking about physical wounds here. Instead I’m referencing more personal, internal injuries. I think any reasonable person will agree that there are wounds that call for band aids and
others that call for stitches...and yet, still others requiring more drastic reparative measures. But
what happens when we take band aids into the gaping wounds of our emotional realms?
And…do we take band aids into that realm just a tad too often?
I think the answers to those questions are: Nothing good and
all too often.
Hear me out on this…
Whether it’s the band aid of overly indulgent self-confidence
to hide a mask of insecurities; alcohol to mask what we are too afraid to say
or do when we are less than altered; arrogance to mask fear; humor to mask
sadness; wrong relationships to mask loneliness; hatefulness to mask love;
pushing someone away to see if they will push back or run away…we all do it, or
have done it, or are doing it. But here is the deeper question: Why? Why do we
do this to ourselves? Why do we do this to one another?
Because It’s human nature. This is what we do. We are
socially conditioned to sweep everything under the proverbial rug…because we
don’t (or can’t) deal with more complex emotions. Because we refuse to leave
our comfort zones; because we refuse and won’t allow ourselves to feel our
feelings or really process the feelings of someone else.
But what might happen if we did? What if we ripped off our
band aids and actually dealt with the gaping wounds underneath?
And…the song that goes with this particular thought soup?
Topic and context hit very close to home. Again Thank you for this. Song is perfect! Beginning to Think We are Kindred Spirits...
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