Chain Gang of Hope

[stillwaters]

I have a wonderful friend and co-worker who daily comes to work early so she can get me out of my home to go for a walk. I havnt been to work for 2 months now because of the depression and anxiety, and these walks are sometimes difficult to get started on but I know have really helped me.
During our walk this morning, I was concerned about going to the chat room to see how every one is doing with Hurricane Sandy about to hit the east coast of the U.S.A. as I have met some very nice people that live there
The people I have met in the chat rooms have been so supportive and if any of them read this I hope you know how thankful I am.
When we were talking this morning on our walk we discussed names for groups. Flock of birds, gaggle of geese, herd of cows etc. This conversation arose because we had smelled what we believed to be more than one skunk, (Apparantly a group of skunks is a surfeit) and I was then trying to think of a name for a group of people that meet in an online support site for depression.
I couldnt come up with anything (I thought bunch of nuts was inappropriate) but then I remembered how someone said that depression was worse than going to prison because the person who suffers with it is both the prisoner and the guard. It may be the new meds but then I had this vision almost out of Cool Hand Luke. We are all prisoners. Some with short terms, some with life sentence. Some people in solitary and some in the hole.
But then there is the chain gang and everyone in the chat rooms are working together on a road to freedom. Everyone working hard and in rhythm. Everyone ready to help someone who cant keep up.
Of course there are the guards. There is Balcony on her horse. Keeping a watchful eye and ready to keep everyone in line and moving towards freedom. Her weapon of choice is love. Up in the watchtowers they got Emma13 and DanD. Both excellent snipers but they are there to keep the trolls out and protect the prisoners. There are of course lots more good good guards, but my memory is well...
Anyway that was my wacky vision that for some reason I thought I should share with my fellow prisoners on the chain gang of hope. Its really I guess one more way of me trying to say thank you all.
Now comeon, lets get back to work, there a bunch of new prisoners coming in every day and we gotta get this road to freedom finished for them.

[balcony]

Michael, that was so unexpected and made me cry. I don't know if I do those things, I hope it is true, I do know I feel this way:


"We are travellers on a journey, We are pilgrims on the road...
We are here to help each other, walk the mile and bear the load.

I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh, I will laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow, 'til we see this journey through."