12:28 p.m. - Thursday, Aug. 08, 2002
Ms Leslie gets a little humility
Today is just a day to be glad I�m me. I�m looking around me and seeing that everyone around me has major, major problems. They�re struggling to make enough money to pay for a place to live. They�re trying to get their health needs taken care of without any decent insurance or any way, really, to pay.
The whole country, thanks to UBL, is trembling under a bad case of some kind of national PTSD. No? Just try to watch �Mad About You� on TV. See the opening shot? It�s a picture of Manhattan showing the WTC. Every time it comes on, millions of Americans are triggered back into memories, anger and grief over that act of ultra terrorism. Suddenly, I�m just one more American with intrusive memories, nightmares and trouble relating to life. Welcome to the club y�all.
We�re under attack by bugs, and out children disappear like stars winking out in the heavens and as horrified as we are, there�s nothing we can do.. or very little.
I�m reading a diary of a man who lost his wife and learning about how to grieve�. And how to move beyond grief back into life.
And I�m just plain damn stupid lucky that I have all day every day to think about me. I don�t have to scrabble around for grocery money anymore. I can be who I want to be and do what I want to do, within certain limits, of course. And I get free health care. I get help with my depression and PTSD and my little gender problem is so small and so easy to rectify as to make me feel like I should shut my mouth and just quietly get on with my own little life.
I need to remember that. Yes.. I do have a right to my own issues and to feel my own pain. I don�t need to apologize for my feelings. But I also need to remember that there�s nothing so very special about me either. Struggles and pain are part of the human condition. We all get our own special set of challenges and obstacles. Mine are unusual perhaps, but no better or worse than yours. Good luck with them.
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