Some days can be very stressful for me. I have little patience, I’m too quick to respond to idiots (and too sarcastic or sharp when I do). My head fills with dark thoughts and images.

It’s not fun. I’m not very likable on good days, and on bad days it’s really ugly. So what do I do?

Well, I poke around on the internet. I have some places I visit frequently, they post jokes and are even more sarcastic than I am. There’s always Facebook, as long as there isn’t anything overtly political going on that day (hello gun nuts and obamacare freaks). Otherwise I just get more punchy.

The days with the worst struggles are the days I feel the most alone, and that is possibly due to how I like to isolate myself when things are rough. It’s a circular type of logic that I’m comfortable with after nearly a half-century of using it. Whatever. I’m not trying to say it’s a good system, just that it’s the only one I can follow consistently. I’m extremely predictable.

I also have other ways of coping, of course:

The best part is I know that bad days have to end sometime, and good days will be there, too. I have many reasons to smile, even if I forget sometimes. Sunshine is powerful stuff and eventually drives clouds away. This too shall pass.