If You Don't Have Stress, You May be a Carrier

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I have long believed that depression can be cured when you take away the source of the depression.
Not all depression, but a lot of it.
Many people, including me, could have been saved from a world of depression and heartache if we hadn't been taken out by circumstances beyond our control.
Death. Unemployment. Divorce. Sexual assault.
A lot has happened in my life, and not all of it has been good.
But I've been lucky to have loyal friends who have always supported me, and talked me down from the ledge. None of them had a pot to piss in, but each of them had a friendly ear, a warm hug, an open door.
The world is a nasty place full of people who don't have stress but are carriers.
They hurt you, mock you, leave you, bankrupt you, under-employ you, sexual harass you, put you down so far it looks like up.
If I were a bettin' girl, I would say all those carriers are tweeting all over the place about the importance of recognizing mental illness in the home, in the workplace, on the Goddamn bus. And after BellLet'sTalk Day, they will resume their responsibility for creating many of the world's ills.
If just one carrier would stop what they are doing, the world would be a much better place.
They won't.
The world doesn't work like that.
The meek do not inherit the Earth.
But we do have power to stand up for the others who are bullied, denigrated, put upon, made to cry in slimey bar bathrooms.
We can't do anything about the haters.
Haters will hate.
But we can stand up. Just for one day. For somebody else.
Be the friend you want to be. Be the doctor with empathy.
Be the coach with a big heart who recognizes the kid in the corner with the broken one.
Be the bystander who gives a few bucks to the mom who comes up a few sheckles short at the cash.
Be the boss who gives a day off for a sick pet.
Or better still, be the person in charge who sets someone up for success instead of failure.
Stop being judge and jury.
You aren't better than her.
Cause one day you just might be her.

It isn't hard.
If only for one day a year, just be a Bloody Human Being.
Take a chance on somebody else.
It will make your day.

That's my message for LetsTalkDay.
Be there for somebody else, even if you can't be there for yourself.