There will always be people who reject me out of hand

because i have bipolar disorder. this used to be terrifying to me. now, it's a little unnerving, but that's about it.

you see, i have so much going for me, and i'm really pretty sane, at times maybe even more sane than a lot of other folks, and if you can't see that, then maybe you don't belong in my life.

it's a package deal. i have the courage to step out into the world and say that i have this really scary-sounding illness. i want others to have the courage to look beyond that label to who I am. i am not the illness; there's a real person behind the label.

yes, i rant and rave about bipolar problems on my blogs, and maybe i'll be more conservative about that in the future, but really, i have nothing to hide and i want people to feel more comfortable around people with scary-sounding mental illnesses.

i'm beautiful, articulate, funny, smart, tall, long-legged, well-spoken, culturally literate, multidimensional, compassionate, well-dressed, creative, and all the rest of it. no one is perfect.

i want people in my life who feel the fear but do it anyway; who recognize their initial discomfort but are willing to stick it out.

that's the acid test, folks. i have bipolar disorder, like it or not.

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