SBDR: follow-up

Just a quick addition to my recent Suburban Butch Dad Report on not always being the hero.  It occurred to me that to say I don’t cry in front of others is not completely accurate.  I tear up for movies, TV shows, commercials and inspirational speeches.  I don’t have as much of an issue showing emotion in those cases.  What I have trouble with, apparently, is revealing deeper, more personal negative feelings.  And maybe it’s telling that I describe sadness and disappointment and fear as negative.

In some circumstances, it’s a very good thing to be able to push emotion aside and respond with clarity and rationality.  Not panicking and not becoming emotionally consumed allows me to handle emergencies, projecting confidence and calm which helps me address the problem at hand and which helps calm those I’m trying to help.  That’s a good thing.  The issue I’m becoming aware of is that once we go from an episodic emergency to something more long term, that habit of pushing emotion down becomes a problem.  Delaying emotional response for a few moments or hours isn’t too hard on our bodies or minds.  Holding off for weeks or more will take its toll.  I’m sure I could find articles backing that up, but I’m just speaking from my own experience.  It would be a good thing for me to find another way to deal with longer term challenges, for the good of my loved ones and me.

 

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