Skip to main content

How was your trip?

Photo by: Tim Bindner

I recently returned from a vacation out west with my wife. Though this post is not specifically about the trip, it is a rant about the result.

Upon return I have had contact with multiple people who have all asked “How was your trip?” A normal question and appreciated question. As I answered, that is where my frustration began.

In every scenario as I answered I was cut off, or even worse, the recipient of my answer told me of their experience similar to mine or an example of someone they knew who had been there and they explained what that person experienced. Also, in every case I could never finish my statement or point I was trying to relate.

I understand people are trying to relate to my experience by providing their own (or someone they know), but it really bugs me that when asked I am never given the chance to provide an answer to a question, I am asked.

My blog has become my safe place. I can write about something uninterrupted and get my point across without having the conversation turned from me to the other person. I can post my pleasurable experiences and bad ones without fear of the message being twisted, turned or ignored.

At this moment I am debating even writing about my trip or sharing my photos. It is something I will mull over for a while then decide.

I am likely guilty as well, but I want you to consider your response to someone when you ask them a question and they provide an answer to you. Is your intent to spin their answer to focus attention on yourself? Are you even conscious you do that?

I am more conscious of my rebuttals to people’s answers of questions I have asked. I am also more likely to provide answers like “it was fine” or “it was good” and leave it at that.

I may make a big deal of this, but it is how I feel and my emotions are important to me. This reminds me of a quote I once read “If we do not come to understand the error in the way we think, our self-awareness, which is our greatest blessing, is also our downfall.”–Joko Beck

Until next time,

Tim (Kilmer)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Love to get your feedback on what you read!

Popular posts from this blog

Rumination

  I've found myself stuck in a loop lately. It's like my mind is on a hamster wheel, endlessly circling the same thoughts. I can't seem to shake them. It's exhausting. I've been there. That place where thoughts loop around and around, like a broken record stuck on the same groove. It's like my mind is a haunted house, and these persistent thoughts are the ghosts haunting me. I'll be thinking about something, maybe a conversation I had earlier in the day, and then suddenly, I'm spiraling. I'm replaying every word, every gesture, analyzing every detail. It's like a broken record, playing the same tune repeatedly. It's not just conversations, either. I can ruminate about my to-do list, my relationships, or even the weather. It's as if my brain is determined to find a problem, no matter how small. Rumination, as it's called, can be a real drain. It's like trying to go against the flow of a strong current. No matter how hard I ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nobody's Listening

  I recently had conversations with two people I know that had experienced a sudden rash of acute anxiety. One was medication related, the other was situational. Both stated that they now had a better understanding of what I have been dealing with. With the recent changes to my medication, Although I still feel anxiety, it no longer takes control of my emotions like it did in the past. However, I know acutely that it still lurks on the fringes, patiently awaiting its chance to pounce on me. During my recent visit to Dr. Erin, she assigned me an exercise where I had to jot down three things each day that I felt I excelled at. This is proving to be difficult for me. The parameters are straightforward and easy to understand. “Anything I do well that day,” she said. As I continued with this exercise, I began thinking of a song by Linkin Par called Nobody’s Listening. I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress Handful of anger held in my chest And everything left’s a wast...
Post a Comment
Read more

Walk Tall

  I recently listened to a song by one of my favorite artist’s name John Mellencamp . The song is called Walk Tall . As I listened to the lyrics, I could not help reflecting on the world around me. John states: The simple minded and the uninformed Can be easily led astray And those that cannot connect the dots Hey, look the other way People believe what they wanna believe When it makes no sense at all… This is a recurring sight for me, encountered daily on social media, in conversations, on the news, and most notably in politics. People readily accept Facebook, MSNBC, CNN, or even their neighbor’s post on any platform as the ultimate truth. Very few people bother to delve into the facts, and it’s even worse how furious they get when faced with differing opinions. A point proven recently with a post I saw on Facebook. Someone stated, “this proves people will argue about anything”. There was a picture of a plastic cup of water that was ¾ full. The caption below said a fu...
1 comment
Read more