Michael Jackson
A common misperception is that our tribe can seem “unfeeling, cold or unemotional” to things going on around us. It’s not that. It’s just that we tend to need a LOT more time to process things. We aren’t able to instantly emotionally react because we need to think about it all to even know how we feel.
Perfectly weird example….As an 80’s kid, I loved Michael Jackson. I even threw my Brooke Shields doll in the sump pump when they started dating. I’ve noticed in the past month or so, when I think about him, I feel deep sadness (oops tearing up now), but before that I felt nothing. The day he died, I felt nothing. I hated myself for feeling nothing. I’ve since realized it just takes me longer to feel things, and then I REALLY feel them. Now excuse me while I tell my kids to “Beat It”.
Here's to Not Catching Our Hair on Fire 
February 1st, 2013 at 9:21 pm
wow i felt the exact way when he died. like i didn’t care.
now when i listen to his songs, especially those from his childhood i start tearing up.
maybe it’s the guilt of not caring when i first found out.
i really thought i was the only one who was like this.
a few years ago my mum had a cancer scare and my over dramatic aunt was crying about what would happen if my mum died.
and what do i do? i started laughing. do’h
June 5th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
This is so true. Sometimes my husband will tell me I act like his problems aren’t important. A few hours later I’ll figure out why he was upset, work out the consequences of the problems that he saw 3 hours ago, and finally get upset myself. It’s impossible to explain to him that I don’t see everything immediately, the way he does, like a clear glass pathway from start to 3 possible endings. So I’ve learned to say, “that really sucks,” with feeling, and hope my subconscious will process it as fast as it can. Then, 2 hours later, I’ll end up saying, “Hold on, that means x-and-y for so-and-so…” or “Actually, I wasn’t happy with that decision I made this afternoon – can I call so-and-so back and take it back?”
August 11th, 2013 at 10:20 pm
and yet, this is why we are awesome in a crisis and why so many of us work in ERs, emergency services, are business owners and hold leadership roles… when everyone else is running around all emotional, we on even keel with the crisis and putting out the proverbial fires with ease.