NEWSLETTER
Mental health challenges. We all face them in one way or another, and it’s important that we all just talk about them more and more like it’s normal (because it is!). I have found that one of the most challenging aspects of dealing with mental health is how rough periods can seem to sneak up on you out of nowhere. You can know all the signs and signals, you can know how best to deal with it, and all that, but when the thing you need – your ability to perceive the operation of your own mind – is the very thing that is compromised, you sometimes think things are totally chill and good for far longer than someone outside yourself might notice.
That’s ALSO why it’s so important to talk openly about this stuff, because then sometimes, trusted family and friends might be able to clue you into things starting to go a little sideways before you, yourself, could even hope to realize it. That’s not to say these challenges are apparent to everyone you interact with – indeed, for the most part, the world at large really doesn’t have a clue what everyone else is dealing with because we’ve all become so good at hiding it. I’m just saying: sometimes, the folks closest to you, with whom you talk about your struggles regularly, can notice signs.
That is all to say, I’m in a bit of a rough spot right now – have been for a long time, it turns out – but I’m aware of it, and I’m going to get some additional professional help. That’s why those gigs exist. I mention all of this only because I think we’ve all gotta get more on board with talking about this stuff the same way we talk about any other BS we might chat about at the top of the Bullets. It’s just part of life, and we’re all just trying to live. Our brains are wild, man. It’s weird that we grow up thinking that they’re supposed to function perfectly at all times, unlike every other part of our body, which we openly accept get funky sometimes.
Elsewhere …
New painting! After their final game this year Willson reached out and asked me to paint this for him. Pretty clear how much Joe meant to these guys. pic.twitter.com/e2hps28edA
— Austin Ploch (@PlochArtwork) October 20, 2019
Some sad news to pass on: MLB confirms that Iowa native and MLB umpire Eric Cooper has passed away. https://t.co/zYGTXVUYnz
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) October 20, 2019
Such horrible news about Eric Cooper. Eric, was such a nice guy who I enjoyed talking with and always looked forward to seeing on our umpire crew list for the day. Sending my deepest condolences to his family, friends and his Major League Umpires colleagues. Sad day for the #MLB pic.twitter.com/aC8vlgnkVS
— Anthony Rizzo (@ARizzo44) October 21, 2019
The Whole Damn Thing Is Broken: Saints 36, Bears 25https://t.co/qnMNXUFiwt
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) October 21, 2019
