Lesson one: you can never please everyone. The world is as divided now as I can remember in my short 23 years. Issues that are so obvious to me at face value, like wearing a mask in a pandemic or kneeling to show support for anti-racism, are ferociously contested. I mean, wow. So, when I said I needed to miss French Open press conferences to take care of myself mentally, I should have been prepared for what unfolded. – Naomi Osaka

I was made aware of a story about an Olympic athlete, Naomi Osaka, on a newscast referring to an article found on Time, “It’s O.K. Not To Be O.K.” Osaka, a pro tennis player decided not to do a press conference after a game, instead she took time to deal with her personal mental health. This has caused a windstorm among many.

I have been spending much time alone, alone to where I am staring at my mental health. Of course, sleep issues still prevalent, makes for some very long hours. I found myself snapping back at my best friend, for the life of me I do not know what the issue was about. I apologized immediately, but I found myself staring, coming to the realization about how my body needs lots of rest. Now, on the other hand, best friend can function on about six hours.

I have come to the realization that mental health is, in my opinion, similar to a body of water. They both need a never ending supply of freshness, otherwise they become stagnant producing only stinking algae. I have found myself that I was living in a self-imposed bubble. I was becoming stagnant in my goal of great mental health.

Spending many hours in solitaire can do two things, one drive you over the edge, or two sharpen your ability to hear your inner self. Listening to the inner self causing one to stare at their mental health, that is what has been happening in the absence on this blog.

I have begun to listen, not argue, nor get angry, to other voices in a conversation. Conversations that I would normally block myself against listening. My best friend has been the driver of this, he is constantly telling me that I need to listen to both sides of an argument. I am the kind of person if I am listening to someone who is spouting, lack of a better expression, “bull puckey”” I hit the mute button.

Being absent for this short time has also allowed me to go back and re-read some of the blog posts that I was going to use for material. I am finding that I have to completely deconstruct the writing causing me to approach the subject in a more meaningful way.

Let me be totally frank and honest, many live in political, religious, and issue based bubbles. I tell my best friend I would not be a good reporter because I would probably be quite slanted in doing so. When I listen to great reporting it is something that presents all of the facts, both pro and cons, of any given issue that is being covered.

Going forward at the beginning of the fall I am going to set myself to write about mental health in a more balanced approach. I will still speak about all of my mental health challenges, but I will try to present them in a more comprehensive matter.

I wonder dear reader, are you stuck in a bubble? I call it a bubble, not a rut, because it encompasses more than just our daily routines, it is about staring at mental health and staring at it in a honest manner! Please share with me and the other readers your thoughts!

p.s. the writing is progressing and I am in a deep research phase.