Interactions

I am fed up with other people.

While I often feel lonely and isolated way up here in the forest, the interactions I have make me want to never leave.

Whether I've gained, lost or maintained the exact same weight for years, there are some people who greet me every time with, "You look thin!" or some derivative, as if it's a compliment. This is not how I want to relate to people in my life, but I'm not sure how to get them to stop without making it awkward.

I mentioned I just turned 36, and everyone I've told in person is making weird age comments like, "Is that all?", "36 years young!", and "It's just the anniversary of your such-and-such birthday." STAHP, everyone, let's not making aging weirder than it already is! "Happy birthday" will suffice. Really.

I have also been recently inundated with helpful migraine advice from people who have no reason to give me advice. They aren't medical practitioners, or even friends of mine; these are people who hear about my disability second or third hand and take it upon themselves to google or ask their neighborhood witch-doctor and then force print-outs on my boyfriend for magnet clinics in other states I can not possibly afford to visit. One perfectly nice but terribly misguided old lady sent me a long note containing a numbered list of things I should and should not be doing, as a migraineur, like avoiding caffeine. Honestly.


There's been a shift in my house. We're both more serious suddenly, trying to wrangle our lives back from our respective chronic conditions but without the usual two steps back. So maybe that will mean something positive for the future. I've been feeling stagnant for so long, some forward momentum would be wonderful.