4 ms·

a bit late, but this thought only crystallized as i was out walking... this post follows a common template (motif? i'm searching for the right word). somethin

a bit late, but this thought only crystallized as i was out walking... this post follows a common template (motif? i'm searching for the right word). something along the lines of "i was an idiot then [random bad thing] happened and things turned out for the better". that's fine. but. but. but what people seem to draw from this is that [random bad thing] means life will be good. that's missing the important part. the important part was i was an idiot. that is why things got better - they stopped being an idiot. and this is important, because when [random bad thing] happens people trot out this kind of story as platitude. which REALLY DOES NOT HELP. look at it this way. at best, you're assuming that before [random bad thing] i was living an unreflective, impulsive, poorly thought out life. and now i will be forced to re-evaluate my stance. but maybe i already had a good life? maybe i already was cool? maybe i already was happy? [random bad thing] is defined by bad. so stopping using dumb stories to "cheer up" people who are affected (well, if you do; sorry, got a bit carried away there). thanks. this was a public announcement on behalf of someone who was recently diagnosed with [random bad thing] and really doesn't appreciate being told how this opens up so many options. is that all you are waiting for, to be awesome? being a cripple?

hmbg 14y ago
Agreed, bad things are bad. I was in pain for 3-4 years in my early twenties due to Bechterew's disease, and it was a thoroughly bad experience. Though still mild compared to what the author describes, it really messed me up, making me angry and depressed. I had a good life before I got sick, and I have a good life now that I have a proper diagnosis and working drugs. It's fantastic that the author found peace with his pain, but I wouldn't wish chronic pain on my worst enemy, and I definitely wouldn't expect people with chronic pain to view it as a new opportunity. I really hope your [random bad thing] works out to something not quite as bad. Modern medicine is pretty awesome.
- andrewcooke 14y ago
  thanks. life is not so bad here - i have ms and it turns out that it's probably manageable (as is most, these days, awesomely, thanks to drugs developed in the 90s, with a whole pile more going through fda approval now). and i am in the somewhat incongruous position of complaining about symptoms that mean my nerves are actually healing themselves :o)
- Myrcurial 14y ago
  I read this and laughed. There's two people on the planet that I've wished my struggle upon. Of course, I might have only meant it figuratively... or maybe not ;)

hmbg 14y ago

Agreed, bad things are bad. I was in pain for 3-4 years in my early twenties due to Bechterew's disease, and it was a thoroughly bad experience. Though still mild compared to what the author describes, it really messed me up, making me angry and depressed. I had a good life before I got sick, and I have a good life now that I have a proper diagnosis and working drugs. It's fantastic that the author found peace with his pain, but I wouldn't wish chronic pain on my worst enemy, and I definitely wouldn't expect people with chronic pain to view it as a new opportunity. I really hope your [random bad thing] works out to something not quite as bad. Modern medicine is pretty awesome.

andrewcooke 14y ago
thanks. life is not so bad here - i have ms and it turns out that it's probably manageable (as is most, these days, awesomely, thanks to drugs developed in the 90s, with a whole pile more going through fda approval now). and i am in the somewhat incongruous position of complaining about symptoms that mean my nerves are actually healing themselves :o)
Myrcurial 14y ago
I read this and laughed. There's two people on the planet that I've wished my struggle upon. Of course, I might have only meant it figuratively... or maybe not ;)