Friday, April 8, 2011

Highly Sensitive People Unite!

Last year, while researching the main character for a novel, I discovered that I belong to an elite group of people who comprise (they think) about twenty percent of the population.

Imagine my surprise and delight to find that I'm not alone. That I'm not weird. And that there's nothing wrong with me, I'm wired like this. Phew. Big sigh of relief.

I was so excited that I sat down and wrote an article and posted it to this blog. I keep a link at the top of my sidebar in hopes that other HSP's will be guided here. So that they (you) will know, too.

You are not alone.

For the same reason, I repost the article from time to time. I was fifty-three before I found out. What if my parents had known? And what if I had been told as a child?

Imagine how different my life might have been.

What if someone had said, "Olivia honey, there is nothing wrong with you. Yes, you're different. But in a good way. You're gifted. You feel things others don't. You see things differently. You're a prodigy. You are not a freak, nor a problem child. You're to be encouraged in your eccentricities; not squelched, ridiculed or belittled."

Yeah, No. That didn't happen. Not in my house. Did it happen in yours?

Eldala author, Michelle Gregory, found me after one repost and wrote a beautiful comment. I wanted to host an HSP blog hop and asked if she would like to co-host. She agreed.

Then the depression hit. I procrastinated. Let time slip by. Then more. Still no HSP Blog Hop. But I still think it's a good idea. And, Michelle, if you're reading, I'm ready.

Would anyone else like to weigh in? Co-host? Make us a cool widget? We could get the word out to a lot more people. Look what Arlee, Jeffrey, Alex, Jen, Candace, Karen, Talli and Stephen have done with the A to Z! 1283 bloggers!

We could do that for HSP Awareness, too.

Whaddya think? Should we rebel it? HSP's unite?

~ Olivia J. Herrell


On the sadder side of life, I attended a visitation tonight for a friend's son. He would've been twenty-seven in a couple of weeks. We arrived early and let the mother, father and family go in alone to see him. It was the first time since his passing.

It was heart-wrenching. Guttural. Raw.

My heart bleeds for my friend, his father. It bleeds for the young man's mother. His brothers. His friends and family. For the life that was taken too soon.

Drugs kill. Whether prescribed or not. So does alcohol. They took my brother at thirty-two, a combination of alcohol and Tylenol. There's nothing pretty about it. Nothing at all.

16 comments:

Michelle Gregory said...

i'm still game.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Me too

Yvonne,

Alex Ong said...

Heck, I'd probably fit in.

Alex from Breakfast Every Hour was here.

Michelle Gregory said...

just now saw the picture. yeah, that's me. the princess and the grain of sand. i'll post a link to this on my blog today.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

It's interesting that you mention the funeral and drug addiction at the end of this post. I don't know if you did it intentionally or not but I believe that HSP's are highly sensitive to addictions as well, as drugs, alcohol, food, etc all tend to drown out the emotional pain that comes in large amounts when you are highly or as some would say *overly* sensitive.

Great post!

Doreen McGettigan said...

Wow! I just used Empathy for my E word and that is what I thought I had too much of. This post could have been about me.
I lost my brother, at 26, to murderers...7 of them.
I think you might understand my post today.
Oh, I'm in also.

http://www.doreenmcgettigan.com

Wendy Lu said...

Me four...it happened in my house, and it happened to me. But at least we are not alone?

I'm so sorry for your friend's son... I have seen what drugs can do to people, especially people I love, so I know how you feel. RIP to your friend's son.

Thanks so much for following my blog. :) If you're interested, come sign up for my 100-Followers Blogfest, titled "Inanimation," it's going to be great!

http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com/2011/04/100-followers-blogfest-inanimation.html

~TRA

Ruth said...

I am going to read more on the HSP thing. Some of that sounds like me. More and more all the time.

MJ said...

I'd be up for a blog hop! Let me know when it starts!

-MJ

Elliot Grace said...

...HSP, that is so very ME!

So sorry for your friend's loss...tragic, the evil's we've pioneered, and the loss of life to show for it. So very sorry.

EL

Jayne said...

My son definitely has HSP. He's the only boy in school who would never wear jeans (and long list of other things). I have ADHD, and when I was young, that sort of thing was not appreciated at home or school. It's so good to have information about these conditions now. We know we're not alone, and that it makes us all the more special.
So sorry for your loss. *hugs*

Jeff Beesler said...

As a highly sensitive person myself, I find that this could be a great endeavor for bringing out awareness to this personality type.

Susan Kane said...

I loved your writing. Yes, I am one of those special people, too, only everyone just thought I was 'plain strange'. What can I say?
I am so sorry about your friend's son. Losing a child, no matter the age, is a horrible thing.

Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré said...

You guys are awesome! Tomorrow begins Day 1 of my vacation. Hello beach, here I come! Monday is supposed to be a rainy day. I'll be round to see everyone then.

Meantime, did I count 7 hosts on board? Yay! Anyone know how to make a cool button for our venture? When should we start and end it?

It's exciting to meet so many of you, us!

~ Olivia J Herrell

Yvonne Osborne said...

A writer must have empathy. Is this what you're talking about? I know I'm very sensitive to others. I'm an emotional wreck most of the time. Is this what you're talking about? I will have to read your other post when I have time. Off to visit my mum in the hospital!

kjmckendry said...

Great post! I had never heard of HSP. It sounds like my son. I will read more about it. Thanks

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