Welcome To The Funhouse!

 Good morning! Welcome to the “Funhouse!” Yes, today we enter that oh, so awesome Carnival trip…where nothing is truly as it seems! It’s “life” as seen through the eyes of illness!

 As you enter you see the infamous Room of Mirrors to your left…we know we shouldn’t enter, but we always do! The warped distortions of reality stare at us from every angle…we’re too fat, too thin, our color is WRONG. Our body parts are reflected back at us from every possible angle in every possible way, except the clear, correct view.

 And as always, we linger too long here, caught up in the horror and confusion of it all…

 Eventually we pull ourselves away, passing into a room full of strobe lights where the floor is uneven and grotesque Clowns pop out of hidden doors, scaring the turd-muffins out of us! We’re confused…we trip, maybe even fall a time or two. We jump at the popping Clowns (I flippin' HATE clowns!) and turn in circles, looking for a way out.

 Our final stumble takes us through the impossible-to-find door into a seemingly peaceful, shiny room…too shiny! (GREAT!) This one is apparently constructed of slick, well-polished metal surfaces where we slip and slide, unable to get the traction needed to move on. No matter what we try, the ice-like floor mocks us, leaving us running in place for what seems an eternity…

 If we persevere, we eventually make it through the crazy, WRONGLY-named House of Fun and back outside. We stand in the warming Sun as the gentle, afternoon breeze calms us and carries the anger, frustration, and border-line panic far away from our “here and now.”

 This, my friends, is so similar to living with a chronic illness that I doubt I even need to go on explaining it! (But I’m going to anyway, so there!) The only difference? It’s not an actual “house” but our minds and bodies that create the ride. (And the price of admission? So NOT worth it!)

 Today I will admit that I’m currently trapped in the Hall of Mirrors…everything distorted and made ugly by pain, worry, and fatigue. It sucks! (Wait, it doesn’t just suck, it sucks on toast! It sucks on ice! It’s suck-a-tude on a cracker!)

 Ahhh…but the worst part? It would be so very easy to stay here. So effortless to simply close my eyes and allow my back to comfortably rest against the gentle curve of the mirror behind me…the cool surface feels lovely and welcoming. The air is pleasantly warm with just a slight hint of the disinfectant they used to clean…

 The hard part is fighting my way out of the lies that surround me. Fighting my way back through all the confusing bullshit, back to the sun and the breeze and freedom!

 About now (or three or four paragraphs back) you’re saying, “This is really NOT funny! Why are you telling us this crap?”

 Because it’s a normal part of our lives. Because no one (unless you’re possibly assisted by the much-sought-after “happy pill”) can be a Positive-Polly or Optimistic-Oprah all the darned time! There are days we’re trapped in one room or another, and that’s OK…as long as you keep working your way through. (Even if you gotta call in the troops to help you find your way to the Exit!)

 And this? Is one of the MANY reasons I love the “Fight Like a Girl” memes and stuff…Because it reminds me to not get too comfy and lay down on the job!

 And guys…let me put your mind at ease about the “sexist nature” of the whole “Girl” part of it…Think about this a minute. Most of the “guy fights” I’ve seen are pretty straight up. Punches are thrown, maybe a few kicks to the ribs, but nothing too ugly…knuckles and flesh…(and possibly blood.)

 Now, have you ever watched a couple of girls go at it? (There is a reason they call them “cat fights.”) It is an all-out, free-for-all, no-holds-barred, ass-kick fest! Scratching, biting, hair-pulling…you name it, they’ll do it to win! And THAT is how I fight! (I mean metaphorically speaking…I’m WAY past the age of street brawls…) (Umm...if my kids are reading this, then I NEVER got in fighters...ever...REALLY!)

 So…to all of you out there this morning who may be feeling a little on the “down” side…it’s OK, just don’t quit! Call in for back-up, dust off your knuckle, tie the hair back (it’s harder to pull that way) and let’s start fighting our way back to the sunny-side of things!

 May your day be filled with beautiful sunshine, no freaky Fun Houses, and lots of Girl-Fight moxie!