Op-Ed: The Lounge | A Column for Men: Stop Infecting People

In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.

“Misery loves company” is something we have heard since time immemorial. Many of us have experienced this and have been victims of the contagion that is misery. Being in certain spaces and around certain individuals can be downright draining. I am sure all of us can recall a time where we felt exhausted, depleted, and worn out from those conversations. Quite literally, your energy can be upended and shifted by the wrong locations and persons.

However, today we are going to speak to the perpetrators. We often talk about protecting our space, our peace, enforcing boundaries, and staying firm in our resolve. What we don’t talk about as often is changing our behaviors when we are the ones contaminating spaces and the lives of others. It is always difficult to both acknowledge and adjust our perspectives and lenses when we are the problem. Today we can begin the journey to self-decontamination.

We have all been seeing a lot of things on social media lately, riddled with negativity and disagreement. We see the news and feel the effects of poor decision making at all levels of leadership and in all sectors. We wake up daily with a slight tinge of apprehension due to the uncertainty of what lies ahead, locally, regionally, and globally. So, it is quite natural to be frustrated, irritated, angry, outraged, discouraged, helpless, and sometimes, hopeless. We must allow ourselves to feel and to work through those feelings to help find solutions.