Since I was a teenager, some form of stress or the other has always been a part of my life. Deadlines for school, family issues, friend's problems, there was something always going on. When my parents split, and my grandmother died all within a month my stress level hit the roof. Now most of those issues are over and I live a pretty stress free life. I have the usual stresses, work, bills, am I being a good Christian, etc, but not like I used to. I feel a calm inside of me, and am a little less high strung than before, and it hasn't gone unnoticed. But not in a good way. People I work with and a couple of friends constantly think that something is wrong with me or that I am "in a bad mood". Neither of these are the case. I like to laugh and am not the quietest person, but laughing was a way for me to cover my hurting without being asked the questions "Are you ok?", "Is there anything that I can do for you?", or the worst is "I know how you feel!". But now, when I am 100% ok, and I have gone from high stress to an idle, I am getting these questions. Then I get irritated. HA.

As much as being a calm person is a change for me, an unexpected side effect is a little indifference to my friends issues. I still care about what is happening to them, and try to help, but I don't hurt as much for their problems as I used to. Maybe I used to tie their problems in with mine? I guess life makes you tough, and the only thing that stays the same is everything changes.