No Need to Feel Different

I’ve never actually had my own ostomy done, but I’ve been around a few different people who have and now live their lives with a pouching system for their stoma. And to be honest, I first thought it may be weird to hang out with friends that had had such procedures, because that’s what our society has conditioned people to think. But not long after it happened with one of my friends, I realized that literally nothing changes on a daily basis. In fact, it’s not even something either of us think about, and it’s not weird by any means to mention it.

And that’s how it should be, to be honest. That’s how any procedure should be for people. You should never have to think twice about what had happened or could happen next. The whole point of procedures, medical or otherwise, is to fix something that was causing problems. Thereafter, no problems should be around.

So yeah, I’ve learned a lot about the basic care of higher tech brands like Hollister ostomy supplies all because I’ve been around it for a few years now. And to be honest, I think my friends appreciate that I don’t make it a big deal, because they know I know enough about it to help out if anything ever went awry. Starting out, sure, I didn’t know much at all about it. But what mattered was that I wanted to learn and help if I could, and I think that really showed I cared to not make it a big deal.

Going forward, I think this is how I want to handle all interactions I have with people who may have different lifestyles or ideals than me. It doesn’t matter how different we may be, physically or mentally, what matters is working through those differences to establish a healthy relationship. Whether it’s my friends, my family, my coworkers, or just the everyday people that cross my path on a regular basis, I want to bring that sort of understanding and acceptance to the table.

No one should have to worry about feeling different or things being weird because they’re different. And I mean that, no one should. The whole point of humanity is to express your diversity and remain diverse. Without it, everyone would be the same and nothing would grow, nothing would ever change for the better. There’s a reason why diversity is pushed in so many work spaces nowadays, and it’s for an amazing reason.