Kicking off Mental Health Month in true bipolar fashion… literally.
Yesterday was the first day of Mental Health Month, and I was headed to the capitol building to watch the Mental Health Month Proclamation that Mental Health Colorado creates every year to outline goals for the coming year and give voice to the people who live with a brain disorder.
Side note: I LOVE Mental Health Colorado’s BrainWave group. I highly recommend you check them out if you’re interested in politics or advocacy.
Anyway, I decided this would be a great opportunity to wear my bipolar shirt : ( : I was apprehensive at first, but I’ve really come to enjoy wearing it. It adds a context that leads to some priceless moments. For example, I was in the security line at the capitol building waiting for my backpack, watching the tour groups going through when I heard the security guard behind me ask ratherly loudly.
Sir… Sir, Do you have a knife in your bag?
Oh shit. I completely forgot I had the knife my cousin gave me in my bag, it took just long enough to remember for me to see the entire tour group turn their heads and stare right at me… the guy in a bipolar shirt… standing at security… with a knife in his bag.
…uhhh Yep.
Not to worry, the guards turned out to be great guys. We chatted for a bit while they got the log, and I happily left the knife with them and made my way into the building.
Once I was inside it didn’t take long for to me to notice there was a pretty distinct difference between me and nearly every other person attending, they all looked well-put together and professional, and I, well I was about a foam finger away from being ready for the game.
To make matters worse, I needed to take some shots …err I mean… photos of the event, and rule 1 of composition is keep moving.
So much for hiding in the back.
As I looked through the lens at a crowd of people listening intently, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many faces I recognized. I know these people, I know how hard they work, and what they’re working towards.
It strikes me suddenly just how much the colorado mental health community can accomplish as a team.
And I start to think, maybe being dressed as a fan is more appropriate than I thought…
You can learn more and stay up to date on events throughout Mental Health Month at sigmend.com
