Keeping the bottle from exploding

For as long as I can remember I've been a writer. Not a writer in the paid and published sense (not yet anyway) but a writer in the sense that I write about my life and strangely enough it's what keeps me sane. I have a cupboard full of hand written journals that I have been writing in since Moses was a baby. Okay probably not quite that long but at least since I was in single digit numbers (which is still a long time ago)

I have half written and completed stories and poems and lists. You name it and I've written about it. Something I've discovered in reading back through some of the things that I have written is how much of it has been during times when my emotions have been in disarray. When I have been ridiculously happy or scarily sad, or even confused or upset, angry or inconsolable - then writing has been my saviour.

Some people paint, some people take photographs and some of us write. It's all an outlet for what's inside. I used an analogy the other day with a family member about a bottle. When you bottle everything up inside there's only so much that will fit before the bottle gets over full and has to go somewhere. Much like an over full bottle of fizzy drink, sometimes it will explode.

I keep my bottle at a safe level by writing. I may not be that good at sharing my angst in person but I have always been able to write about it. Some of it is stuff written just for me and then discarded because once it is out then I can let it go and set it free. Some of it is stuff that I share.

Since I've discovered blogging it has achieved two things, an outlet for my prolific writing but also a forum that enables discussion and sharing on a global scale. I laughingly thanked a frequent commenter on my blog the other day for being my counsellor. He laughingly replied with a comment about his hourly rate. Well I'm a girl of honour so I've sent your cheque by carrier pigeon so you can expect it to arrive somewhere in the next twenty years or so. Ticklebear you rock and you provide some illuminating wisdom when it comes to my muddled thoughts.

There are so many more of you who comment and counsel and cheer me on and it's because of all of you that I am doubly respectful when I comment on other peoples posts. I want to be able to provide the same sort of comfort and support because damn the blogosphere is an amazing beast full of some amazing people. I'm certain that blogging is enabling many of us to keep the bottle at a safe half full level and not overflowing or ready to explode.

What about you, how do you keep the bottle from exploding?

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. ~ Chinese Proverb