The Daze & the Funk of Loneliness 

All my life I’ve heard clichés like, “If you want a friend, be a friend.” You think that’s sorta what the dude in the movie meant when he said, “SEE the ball, BE the ball?”

Maybe not.

Suffering from chronic issues makes most people into a recluse, from my experience, and talking to many others like me. One time I recall telling my boss, Todd (a former pastor and wise confidant), “I’m hurting so bad, and I’m so tired, I just wanna crawl in a dark cave somewhere and sleep for about a year.”

But that’s not healthy. I have no aspirations of changing lives with this blog, but hopefully I can let you know you’re not alone in your troubles.

Many nights I feel like I just can’t make it another day, but my friends and family lift me up and help me through. I wanna be that kind of friend. Sure it’s easier to hide in your apartment with the shades drawn, but that type of loneliness will kill ya.

The picture below is of me and my (at the time) three-year-old grandson, Joshua, last year when we went to Universal Studios, Orlando. By the end of the day, Joshy was completely exhausted and began crying. I was wrapped up in my own pain and fatigue, but suddenly realized maybe I could help him.

Since I have chronic pain, my wife rents an electronic wheelchair for me when we go to amusement parks, so I don’t have to stop and rest every twenty minutes. I was sorta trailing along behind, in my own daze, when I decided to ride up in front of my family by Joshy. As I drove my wheelchair, and my wife, “Nana,” pushed Joshy in his stroller, I just reached over and grabbed his hand, as a reminder that I love him and will always be there for him. It worked; he was still exhausted, but seemed to be comforted. We held hands the rest of the way out of the park, and my son thought it was so sweet he took the picture.

It’s one of my favorite pictures because it reminds me anything is possible with a friend by your side, even if that friend is your “Poppy.”

I know this has been one of my simpler blogs, but I just felt someone needed a reminder about the importance of not only being a friend, but reaching out to those we call “friend” when we’re in need. Don’t let pain, anxiety, worry, stress and/or depression put you in such a daze that you crawl into your dark cave. True friends will take you by the hand and stroll along beside you, right through the funk.