We’ve all been in that situation where we choose to turn a blind eye to what is right in front of us. Either because reality hits too close to home and facing it becomes a terrifying prospect. It could also be because reality is forcing us to confront something we’re just not ready to deal with.
Some people live life pretending everything is okay, then go home at night and cry in the privacy of their solitude – a place where there is no need to put on a front to fool other people, a place where one is stripped naked of the veneer of denial that there is nowhere left to hide.
They are everywhere – the macho gay neighbor who prefers to keep his lovers inside the closet, his parents who pretend not to see the longing look their son sends to the family driver, his wife who prefers to believe his excuses not to hold her at night. It could also be your other neighbor who used to own a house and a car, who now borrows a few bucks from you now and then, who you’ve seen holding solo pot sessions after a declaration of bankruptcy.
Living in denial is the fastest way towards hitting rock bottom. Refusing to face problems won’t make them go away – they continue to grow in the backyard of your reality. And, one day, you realize the problem has become too big to ignore. Much better to face problems early and nip them in the bud.
A.M. Llovit 