The Story Behind Anger is Okay
Growing up, I had problems controlling my anger. When I’d feel slighted, or that someone had broken the rules, I’d get angry. I’d lash out, yell, even get into fights. I didn’t think I could help it. The wave of anger would come on before I knew it was happening, and then it’d have control.
As children often do, I saw the world in simple terms. Being angry meant I was bad. As I grew older, that evolved from “bad” to “bad guy”. I was the bad guy, a villain, because good guys didn’t get angry like that.
I write a lot of poems as messages to myself and people like me. Anger is Okay is another such poem. I’m sure my parents tried to explain it to me, but it never stuck. But I hope my words will stick for someone else.
Anger doesn’t make you a villain, it makes you human. It might be hard to see when you’re the only one who reacts the way you do, but there’s nothing wrong with you. That’s what I’ve learned. And as I’ve grown, I’ve learned that I can control it. I still get angry, but I’ve found better ways to handle it than lashing out at people.
Most people that know me now have never seen me angry, not like I used to be. It got easier to manage as I grew up. I hope I can help other people see that too.
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