Protection…

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By Radical Rhymes

I don’t know about you, but I have to take steps to protect myself at times from the negativity that constantly surrounds us.

That can mean different things at different times. There is a macro level where, for a short time at least, I have to insulate myself from the news and current affairs. It’s never long, and it doesn’t stem from willful ignorance, it’s just that having bipolar laced with a little anxiety, constant waves of bad news are overwhelming.

I’m sure this isn’t something peculiar to those with mental health issues, friends of mine also take a regular step back from things in the same way. Covid and its woeful handling by Johnson and his rich man’s government are enough to make anyone in the UK wish to bury their heads…

And, sadly, there are those at the mezzo level of our experience that also – actively – wish to drag us down. I put up a tweet recently thanking those who helped remove Trump in the United States for their efforts. In my view the Trumps are a global blight, representing all that is rotten in modern societies. For me their excision from public and political life was a cause for celebration.

But, within minutes, someone was berating me for ignoring the threat of global warming and Joe Biden’s complicity in enhancing its spread. Hang on, he hadn’t been in office a day at that point, and I am not foolish enough to believe all the world’s ills will be resolved by this transfer of power. Of course not! However, it would have been nice to have been able to enjoy a positive moment without doom and gloom showing its discouraging face so readily…

One thing that I’ve learned from an angry teenage period is that you are entitled to.be angry. That the world is unjust, that there is misery constantly in evidence but that you cannot live permanently in a state of fear, frustration and rage. Not only is it too tiring, but it is mostly useless. By all means campaign, be active, try to effect change in your life and immediate circles, but don’t be disappointed that you can’t create macro change. Only a few get that opportunity, so, don’t set up camp in despair…

And then there’s protection at a personal, micro level. The need to assess whether people are good for you as friends and acquaintances. They might be obviously negative and just make you feel bad about life, or, they may draw you into a fantasy life that has no real shape or form, but that takes you away from what’s real. In the end you have the right to choose who your give time to, that right belongs to you.

As I see it, protection is required at different levels, and making the right choices can substantially improve your life.

Radical Rhymes is a professional artist working with a range of media – predominantly animal/human portraits and landscapes – including, most recently, hand painted furniture. You can see his work on Instagram Radicalrhymes1969 or on Twitter @RhymesRadical.

For commissions, please contact him on Twitter via Direct Message or by email at: radicalrhymes@outlook.com His work is also available to buy on Etsy

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