This young man does an excellent job with his review of this episode in the Naruto series.
Naruto is a Japanese manga, which was first published in 1997. It was later made into an anime, which ran from October 3, 2002 to February 8, 2007.
The folks from Monday's Music Moves Me reminded me that it's Labor Day in the U.S. I'm going to do something a little different and dedicate this Sad Songs collection from Naruto to my kindred spirits who labor on in a life with mental illness.
Every member of the KHEL 666 Krew lives with mental illness. I have type 2 bipolar disorder, and I know that what comes easily to normal people is often a struggle for those of us who are mentally ill. For us, staying alive can be a struggle, and not everyone wins the battle.
We've all heard the well-meaning advice. "Just cheer up. Just stop that stinkin' thinkin'. I know just how you feel."
The problem with the last one in particular is that if the person saying those words doesn't have a mood disorder, then they really don't know how it feels.Think about how you felt the last time something really bad happened to you. Sometimes we feel that way for what would seem to be no reason at all. It can become impossible to perform optimally when just getting out of bed is a struggle.
We've also heard things which are far less well-meaning. Lazy. Crazy. Stupid. Words like this certainly don't help. In fact, this kind of stigma causes people living with mental illness to remain ostracized and to be ashamed to seek help. In some cases, these words even kill.
It seems like many creative people struggle with mental illness. In fact, the same areas of the brain responsible for creativity are also heavily involved in conditions such as bipolar disorder, so there is a strong correlation. However, not all creative people are mentally ill, and not all mentally ill people are creative.
Creative pursuits can help people with mental illness cope with the difficulties they face. I wish I could say I was artistic, but I'm hard pressed even to draw stick figures. I like to write because it gives me an outlet for my emotions, and, for a time, takes me away from a life which has been very difficult in many ways.
Whatever your Labor in this life--whether you have a mental illness, a physical handicap, or are simply trying to keep on keeping on in this sometimes harsh world, I wish you well today and every day.
Peace,
DJ Helena
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