Toward the end of last week, it became clear to me that I was
losing my composure. I mean, I do my best to everyday with a smile on my face,
I find myself repeating a line that Anne Bancroft (one of my favorite
actresses) used to say; “I never did mind about the little things…” Problem is, without realizing it, all those
little things have built up – hidden inside of me somewhere. When it all
explodes, it’s typically from a ridiculous trigger. In my case, I cannot tell
you what my recent trigger was. It happened so fast.
There was nothing physical or violent; simply mental and in turn,
emotional. Once I was doen with my verbal tirade, I simply shut down. That in
mind, I have been incredibly antisocial since Thursday. Mom and Kevin were here
yesterday and they could tell I was not in the best space mentally. Ironically,
Mom had already spoken to my friend Joe and was aware that I was not doing
well. Rather than asking what was going on, she simply said that she and Joe
wanted me to try and stay positive and to manage my temper.
There is no doubt – that was the icing on the cake.
Here’s the deal. I know that my friends and family love me and
always want the best for me. Sometimes I think I have over-shared about this
experience with them. In this circumstance, I most definitely had.
Up until yesterday, we had been on a complete lockdown for 10
days. Since the 1st of the year, we have had deaths, serious
assaults, overdoses etc. It is expected that all of these things will happen in
prison, but lately, it has been happening at an overwhelming rate. I have no
problem being locked down when I am alone. But when I am surrounded by 36
idiots who are running around high and acting stupid, and who also have
incredibly bad hygiene…. Well, it’s not
exactly pleasant. Halfway through our lockdown, all of our toilets broke down.
On top of that, our ventilation system failed so we had no air circulation
(in fact, we still don’t…) Needless to say, the aroma in my run is an assault
to the senses.
Strangely, I found myself apologizing to myself before my
meltdown, but I had to let it all out. Do I feel better? Yes. Do I regret it?
No. Do I wish my friends and family understood more? You betcha. But it doesn’t
make any of this any easier. It’s something that I have to deal with. After all,
it’s my fault that I am here in the first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment