What if you asked me how i am? 9 out of 10 times i will lie. Tell you i am okay. i’m fine. Nothing new. But what if you were number 10? What if i told you the truth. That at age 48 i still cannot accept my body. The cellulite on my inner thighs. The pounds i gained on my once skinny frame. Or that i still can’t quite figure out why i stumbled into social services 20 years ago. i am an introvert. i am hyper vigilant. i am so very sensitive. What if i told you that i am depressed and anxious and traumatized for bearing witness to violence and addiction and serious mental illness regularly. Not just with my job but in my life. What if you asked me how i am? Would have the guts to tell you the truth? If i don’t have the guts then how can i blame you. How can i blame you if i chose to lie.