For context: I wrote this whilst laying in bed on a Friday morning. It's a response to a post on Facebook from a guy who goes by the name of Inja. The post asked for guys to stand up and admit they have mental health issues. That suicide kills more young men every year because they are told to 'man up'. Well I'll tell you what I think of that phrase......
Life is tough no matter what your beginnings,
Man's told he gotta be tough to be respected?
I ain't listening to that stuff!
I've cried twice this week,
And yeah that's a good week.
5 months in pain with a bad back is not the furthest I've been down the track.
But I am so much more than what's happening today.
If I told you the full story your hair might turn grey.
The world feels cold when you live in dismay.
You might think that no one got your back.
But brother, sister you should lean right back.
I've been down at the bottom and dragged myself back.
It wasn't pretty or easy but I made myself a new.
Admit defeat and stop fighting yourself.
Cry out in anger and fucking scream and shout.
It took me many years to admit that the problem was me and how I coped.
Should have been obvious really but drugs and booze is such an easy way out.
This isn't a poem or sad story to lament,
I look back on everything that happened to me and I think that I'm lucky to be able to say, I'm ok...
But the most important lesson Ive learnt is that it's ok to not be ok.
The other lesson I learnt is not to bottle it up. Don't ever think you got no one. Hold out your hand and reach out. Go to your doctor and have a chat. Ring the Samaritan and see what they say. The man will be fine and help you if you just cry out.
Don't worry about others if they can't understand how your feeling. This road through life is always uneven.
Just remember the most important person in your life is you. No one else can help you through unless you want it too.
Peace.
