Recycling is a very hot topic at the moment. We were told we could recycle many things but as it turns out there are a lot we can’t. Despite evidence of great things being made from recycled goods, we remain that throwaway society of old.
Looking at my fridge while making my morning coffee I saw the chart on what goes where and in which bin. I check it now and then to make sure I don’t put the wrong items out for recycling, Then I thought about emotions. We recycle our emotions.
There is comfort in what we know; although we don’t often stop and think about them, they are always with us. So depression and sadness were the first ones that came to mind. With depression — or at least feeling down if the word depression is offensive — it can come and go. Yes, there is major depression that can need medical intervention, and that can also lead to suicide. But there are the common down days we can have. I know there are days when I don’t want to do anything except sit and read a book or play a game on my iPad. Not strictly depression, but a form of sadness I believe.
Some days I put a label on it and call it a mental health day, but other days I go with it and let it run its course. I also find that if I’ve got things to do — appointments, work, or coffee dates, then these feelings disappear. So I’ve found that boredom is my enemy and can recycle a down day.
Sadness for what I’ve lost is another recycled emotion that most of us live with in some form or other. We’re all going to be sad at varying stages of our lives as loved ones, family members, and pets pass on. There is also the sadness for what we see happening in Gaza for instance — exacerbated by the powerlessness of being unable to do anything. Sadness is another ‘normal’ emotion.
Anger on the other hand is another emotion we see a lot of lately. I recall being angry after my eldest brother died from a heart attack. He left a family with young children and knew he had problems with his heart yet did nothing about it. Rather let himself die, although I’m sure he didn’t think that would be the outcome as he was relatively young. So I was angry with him — although when I look back now I see that I was angry a lot as a younger woman.
So recycling our emotions is common — I haven’t studied it, but I think we seem to go through stages where certain emotions pop up and we experience them again. For me, in the years since Kelly died I have seen the same few emotions roll through my life. Sadness, frustration, anger, and depression — there are probably more that I haven’t identified. They pop up often at inconvenient times, and then you have to deal with them — that is if you identify them. Like surfing — when you get to the top the only way is down; you can choose which wave you take or roll with them. And there’s always another wave.
So as I pat myself on the back for recycling my bottles, cans, boxes, paper, and clothes — I can now add emotions to the list.