“How am I supposed to feel?”
I’m wondering if that’s a question you’re familiar with.
Personally, I hear questions like that a lot, at work and elsewhere. For example:
How am I supposed to feel …
- about what just happened.
- in the morning/afternoon/evening/night.
- when I’m treated that way.
- about my family.
- at this age.
- about the future.
- regarding that news.
- when I’m dealing with all this.
- after you said that.
- when things seem so dangerous.
- if I’m having a different reaction from other people.
- when the weather is like this.
- if I don’t feel like myself.
- in response to what they did.
- with this unexpected occurrence.
- when I lose people.
- about this feeling.
- here.
- now.
…. and other questions (expressed with different feelings).
What’s the answer?
I don’t know.
Or, put another way, there is no “supposed” about feelings. Feelings just …. are.
How are you supposed to feel about THAT?
Or, about these photos I took yesterday?
How was I supposed to feel, when I was taking them?
What do you think?
Thanks to everybody who contributed to the words and images here, to people who have feelings (at work and elsewhere), and to you — of course! — no matter what you are supposed to do, today.