Pity Party

"The proud, the cold, untroubled heart of stone, that never mused on sorrow but its own." Thomas Campbell

I have noticed that the people who throw the grandest pity parties for themselves have difficulty understanding that other people hurt, too. They are too busy blowing up the gray balloons and hanging the gray streamers to notice that the world is full of people who are struggling, many of them much worse than themselves. They may have enough manners to ask how you are, but it would be best if you just lied and said, "Fine," because they really don't want to hear it.

Are you ill? Well, they are sicker. Are you having a tough time financially? They are poorer. It's a sad game of one-upsmanship where they always win, but actually they lose.

Anyone suffering from depression needs the help of a doctor. And there are those people who actually lack empathy. But for those who have become self-absorbed, the solution is simple. (Not easy, but simple.) Pop the pity party balloons, put the streamers in the trash, and get out of the house. Look around you. Volunteer in the community. Make a difference in someone else's life. Bake some cupcakes for a friend. But frost them in a color other than gray.

Susan