Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

I offered you a shoulder? I don't really remember that. I mean, we've talked about some stuff... I'm decent enough about helping people talk through things. It's just... not generally an emotional thing for me? If that makes sense?

The poem might have shown some empathy, you're right. There are different forms of empathy, one of which is intellectual... a reasoned understanding of how people feel. I read your medical blog and read up on every term in there that I didn't know about... sort of, figuring out how these things all work together (or rather, work against each other). Reading about other people's shit... that's something I totally do. Char said a ways back that that 'shows I care'. Hadn't thought of it that way, but I suppose that's true? I mean... I'm fascinated by pretty much everything, but that's not the only reason I do it I guess. At any rate, I developed that 'reasoned understanding' of how it would feel to be chronically ill.

It could also be that I channel emotion better when I'm wasted. I was so drunk I could barely stand when I wrote that poem. I didn't remember writing it the next day, and I was totally shocked that it was as cohesive as it was! I barely edited it at all.