EFFECTIVE COPING MECHANISMS

Over the years I have become less social, to the point where I shut down receptive parts of my personality to avoid dealing with people and situations. It's sort of a conscious tunnel-visioning. Your mom died and space aliens stole your children? Have you considered changing your diet? Said in a reasuring and non-confrontational manner, of course.
Because really, I do not wish to deal with the data you have decided to impart.

My people are stoic and taciturn. Your people are emotive and like to show their hairy traumatized intestines to the world. Mine grit their teeth.
You hit yourselves with a hammer.

The other day at the bus stop waiting for the Golden Gate Transit bus a Mexican gentleman was wailing and quite unhappy. So I gave him a cigarette from the pack of Camels that is in my pocket when I head to work, and advised him to have that achy tooth dealt with. If you don't, and an infection occurs, that's too near your brain for comfort. Given that my Spanish is fragmentary and his English almost non-existent, communication may not have been optimal. Or even achieved.

Really, I am of no help at times like that.

Naturally I am better at interacting with the stuffed animals in my life. Not only my apartment mates 'roomies', but also the eccentrics and psychopaths on my bed. Such as the large sloth (Beauregard), the vulture (Imhotep), and the three asperger teddy bears, as well as the control monkey (Arabello Oyster). Who has lost a couple of screws.

He used to be quite sane.
Then he fell in love.
Disappointed.


Mentally we're all on that peak in Marin County (Mount Tamalpais) watching the fog fade away in the morning. Some of us are calmly smoking our pipes, other folks are hepped-up swilling energy drinks, and contemplating navels, wondering if the sweat from the hike that got us here will provide enough wetness that the lint will start to rot and smell putrid.
I took a mental escalator, so I'm fine in that regard.
Some of you whiff a bit.


You should have that dealt with. If it gets infected, it's too near your brain for comfort.
Perhaps you need a cigarette? I always have some with me here.
And stop wailing. Keep it inside you.



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