IBS SUCKS. I made a face and snapped a pic so I could create an emblem of what my insides feel like most of the time. Normally, when I’m not like this, the smile you see and the laugh you hear aren’t fake, but they mask what’s really going on below the surface.
You’re going through something just as bad. Or worse. I can’t help but compare. And feel like an ingrate for complaining so much. Complaining doesn’t solve anything.
Social media is a showcase for our most carefully curated images of ourselves. We don’t want to scare people away by spilling our guts on the table. We show the world what we want them to see. We spin our suffering into lessons to inspire others, hoping for a big payoff.
Me? I’m just venting. This IBS has been a nearly lifelong companion. I can’t get rid of it, much as I want to. I go on in spite of it, finding gems in the dirt. Many of us hang on because we have to, not because we think tomorrow will be better. It might be. Or we might miss something. Or one day there might be a cure. Others are counting on us. People we love. People who love us. That one tenuous thread we hang from.
How’s your day going?
I tell stories from where I stand. You can reach me at louis@lbkatz.com or 208.805.2740. I’ve got plenty more over at lbkatz.com, including a sometimes weekly newsletter. Hope to see you around!