So, as you may
have guessed or heard from other racers, the transition to home can be a little
tricky. My experience in coming home to Michigan has certainly fallen within
the parameters of “tricky”.
Now, don’t get me
wrong, I have LOVED spending time with family and friends, and enjoyed the
comforts of home. But just as every other location we traveled to, Michigan
comes with more than just the joys of “home”. This place is soaked under the
oppression of alcoholism, depression, and complacency.
Despite my
greatest efforts to recognize these oppressors, I found myself slowly being
sucked into their destructive ways. Not so much the alcoholism as the
depression and complacency. And so here I sat, missing my community, feeling
lonely, feeling forgotten and uncared for.
I was talking to
one of my teammates about this and how hard everything was and how I was
feeling. After a long conversation of him patiently listening and me hoping for
“the magic cure” to everything, he said something. He told me to turn around
and move in the opposite direction. He told me I was choosing all of this…I was
fueling this myself by listening to those lies in my mind. He merely pointed
out the TRUTH.
So…my antidepressant:
Step #1: Hear the truth.
Step #2: Choose to believe it.
After that
conversation I have not dealt with depression or complacency. That’s not to say
they won’t pop up again sometime, but I will be prepared next time. The truth
has in fact set me free!
