Mind Chatter
By: Sharon Wilson
I often ask myself of my involvement in this mess of a political world. How much easier would life be without being driven to change the world, in whatever small way, every single day?
Many people are born driven. Born to observe, question, and live every single day in perpetual motion.
I’m one of those people. My sentence-for lack of a better word-in this life is to fight against oppression.
The alternate choice?
Flight. And those who have chosen flight are the happy-go-lucky creatures, those folks who go about their merry way every single day, oblivious to the going-ons around them.
The fighters aren’t such happy folks. In my political wanderings, I have heard so many involved in the fight express the wish to wake up happy and refreshed every day, instead of angry and pumped up and physically charged. Many remember life previous to the “call to arms” and wistfully wonder if the return to such a mindset is possible.
The constant rush of taking on the responsibility of “saving the world” results in a major stress from which it is difficult to calm oneself. Our minds constantly chatter. Restful sleep is impossible. Physical repercussions-teeth grinding, restless leg syndrome, headaches, just to name a few-demonstrate the body’s chemical inability to “come down” from the stress high.
In other words….
Our body chemistry is whacked.
Once in a while, our inner voice, the calm Voice of Reason, calls “time” in an attempt to relax the physiological responses elicited in those who feel compelled to save the world. At these times, fighters get the urge to “take five”-walk the beach, climb a mountain, happy hour, whatever works-in order to jump off the hamster wheel. When the inner voice breaks through, that’s a sure sign that the fighter mind is close to a short-circuit.
We “come down” only to seek out the high of involvement.
Are we addicted to the fight because of the physiological response of the stress cycle?
Could we withdraw from the battle even if we wanted?
Have we established our own dependency groups by seeking out our own through blogs and forums? An Internet FA (Fighters Anonymous) from which we are hopelessly hooked?
Hi. I’m Sharon. I’m a Fighter.
Hi Sharon.
Or do fighters simply have the Right Stuff? The fortitude demonstrated by our country’s forefathers to “right” the wrong?
My family entered this country in the late 1600’s. Every single day, life was a struggle to survive. Obviously, the struggle proved successful as generation after generation of my family moved forth and prospered.
So, is the fight genetic, in my blood because of the drive of those whose bits of DNA intertwine with my own?
Do I have the genetic predisposition to become physically addicted to the fight for what is inalienably right?
This is what I do know.
The call of my past, of those who fought the fight before me, has passed the torch my way.
I have a stake in this country, an obligation to fight the good fight.
A good night’s sleep is just not in the cards for me this turn around the hamster wheel.
Sharon Wilson is a freelance witer. Ms. Wilson rants and raves via her political blog, Smashed Frog, smashedfrog.blogspot.com Get Smashed! Join the online discussion regarding the absurdities of government.