3 Interviews in 7 Days
Happy Holidays once again. I’ll be honest - I’m not a big fan of “the holiday season” anymore. It is nice to see people more joyful, as they go about their shopping, etc. but it reminds me we’re not that way all the time. I think some places are more so than others. I love a lot of things about where I live, but it’s not known for being friendly. My ex-boyfriend, Peter, is from a small town where everyone knows each other - and even if you don’t, you talk to everyone you meet. When he’d come down here to visit, I saw how friendly he was to strangers, and most smiled and responded - but some looked at him like he was a nut (he is…just kidding, Peter!).
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me. If the old me were asked to be interviewed, I would have been too nervous to go through with it. The new me has a goal to speak out about substance abuse, suicide and grief. Plus, passion trumps fear, being embarrassed and shyness. When I played the interviews back I thought “wow, I didn’t look as scared as I felt!”
The hardest one for me was the radio interview because I agreed to it just hours before it went on the air. I think because I didn’t know the people asking the questions, it was more difficult. The topic came from an article I was quoted in HuffPost which was another surprise because I didn’t know they quoted me until this radio station contacted me! I was shocked - I had answered a question to a reporter but I didn’t know she was from HuffPost and she never acknowledged Using my quote.
Here is what it said:
Discuss memories from past holidays.
Just because a loved one is no longer with us, doesn’t mean a grieving person isn’t thinking about them all the time. Acknowledging past experiences with a deceased loved one can go a long way.
“A smile can appear on everyone’s face when a childhood memory is brought up, such as, ‘Remember the Christmas when they got that bike?’ Or you can say something that reminded you of him/her; ‘If he was here right now, he’d be eating most of the mashed potatoes,’ or ‘I miss Grandma’s homemade cranberry sauce,’” said Barbara Legere, author of the upcoming book “Dying to Feel Good.”
Comments like these can help comfort a grieving person by validating their loss and showing that you care.
I will keep it quick for today. Next week I will have a guest who will be sharing what Christmas is like in prison for those incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation system.
This photo is my least favorite of Keven. It was taken in prison (they aren't allowed phones but there was a dirty guard that brought in all sorts of stuff for the right price.) I barely recognize him here, it breaks my heart. He got some hideous prison tattoo by the dude on the left. Sad. Sad. Sad.