On being an empath

So I've recently come to terms with the fact that I'm pretty strongly empathic.

And no, I don't mean Diana Troi emapthic either. I mean that when I am around someone feeling emotions strongly, I tend to feel an echo of them. Its rather interesting, and not always plesant.

Odd things happen. I tear up during powerful songs. Not just sorrowful songs, or songs that I really like, but anything powerful. Any song where the performer is pouring out emotion both in the content and delivery. Whatever that emotion is, a bit of it tends to rub off on me. Almost as if emotions were contagious, and I have little to no immunity. While this sometimes makes me quick to anger (especially when the other people involved are angry), it also makes me want to help people. The real struggle comes along because I'm also a fixer. I fix things. Its what I do. All day, every day. So, when I see people hurt, I want to fix that too. But often you can't. Some hurts can only be fixed with time. And so far we can only do time at one speed.

I think this, as much as my other reasons, is why writing is so good for me. It provides a fairly safe outlet for all these feelings that weren't mine to begin with, but I'm still feeling. And I know for a fact that venting through the keyboard works. But sometimes all these emotions, mine or reflected, are just exhausting. I'll sit down, all wrapped up one way or another, and the let things flow through my fingers. And a few minutes later I'll feel like a wrung out wash cloth.

Be kind and sensitive out there, you never know who else is feeling your emotions.

/x1101