There is something on your mind. There is an emotion that you are feeling. There is someone who is making you feel uncomfortable. Those feelings are poking at your head. You know what it is. You know what is causing that poke and why its there. The more that poke lingers there, the more you feel uncomfortable. The only way to get rid of that annoyance is to speak your mind – to say what is causing you to feel uneasy and upset. Its jumping on the tip of your tongue. You are ready to say it. But instead, you hold your tongue, you continue to feel that annoying poke against your head. So you finally ignore it. You pretend its not there and continue to go on with your life until something else is causing a similar poke, but much stronger than the previous one.

Think of your thoughts and feelings as an empty water balloon glued to the nozzle of a water pipe. Each drop of water that pipe lets out is a problem or emotion. Each drop fills the water balloon. If there is too much water in the water balloon, you don't free the water balloon from the nozzle, it will explode, leaving a large wet mess of unsolved problems and erratic emotions. That splash will effect everything and everyone around you, soaking them with your bottled up issues.

A lot of people bottle up problems and emotions. Instead of trying to fix the problem or resolve it, they ignore it and pretend that it never happened or go around it. A part of them doesn't want to deal with the drama or the confrontation. The problem bothers them, but they don't want to deal with it. They just lock it up deep in their mind, so deep that they try to forget that it exists. However, if something happens to that person and it sparks a remembrance of that “forgotten” problem, or the person can't “forget” any more problems, that person suddenly lets loose a sudden explosion of negativity and anger.

Bottling up your problems causes harm to not just yourself, but those around you. If there is a problem that someone caused that makes you feel uncomfortable and uneasy, or a scenario that is making you feel irritated and doubtful, you need to address it and try to fix it. If you bottle it up and try to forget it like it was a pass of the wind, you are just hurting yourself and setting yourself up for an unpleasant explosion of anger and frustration. When you do explode, much like a filled water balloon, you will be harming yourself and those around you. You will go into a blind state where you will be spouting out harsh words and displaying negative physical actions. You won't have control over them and sometimes you won't even see it until the aftermath. It is best to deal with those problems before they cause even more trouble and harm.

This can also be applied to emotions. One should not bottle up their emotions, especially if its an emotion that your body needs to vent out or can't control. You need to find some way to vent that emotion and not keep it deep down inside. Being in the company of someone you love and trust is a great way to release your bottled up emotions. When you spill, they will help you clean it up as best as they can.

If you do have a problem with someone, try to address it in a civilized and respectful manner. Your voice is just as important as anyone else. If you have a problem that you need to fix, try to find a way to solve it without the use of negative energy or emotions. If its a problem that can't be fixed right away, do not bottle it up and try to forget it. Remember it in the back of your mind so you can deal with it when the time is right. If you need help, get someone to help you. If you need to vent so you won't fill your bottle to the brim, talk to someone.

artwork © 2014 Alex Cockburn