Le Guerrier

Picture with me, if you will, a warrior - A warrior that stands tall, strolls purposefully, speaks with poise and confidence. But-- this is what you see - the image that your minds eye presents to you.

Now, go beyond the picture... Enter it, if you will, but don't stop there; continue, until you reach the
entrance to the mind of the warrior.

Now, proceed, slowly, into the mind of the warrior.

You will be greeted - but not with the trumpets of victory, the thunderous roar of a lion's heart, the pounding of triumph-charged adrenaline.

No! You stagger backward, clawing back to the entrance; however the light wanes... It snuffs out like a candle in the breeze.

THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED!

That brilliant light surrounding our warrior on the outside wanes, and you are surrounded, nay, enveloped with a dark cloud so thick you begin to panic.

The fear of suffocation become reality; you begin to forget what it was like to experience light.

Time slows to a crawl.

You feel yourself falling, endlessly, into an ever-thickening murky darkness.

How!? How did it take such a dark, dismal turn. This warrior, from the outside appeared to have life by the reigns -- but, inside, you wonder how this human ever qualified as a warrior!

You see, you have just made the discovery -- the discovery that unlocks many a question you had when relating to this warrior.

{Yes, he appeared to, for the most part, be normal... I mean, as normal as a human dedicated to fighting can be. You are aware that this warrior has experienced some unique battles, which seemingly shaped him differently in some ways. I mean, no one ever said battles were easy, right?}

However, the discovery you have made goes beyond those unique battle experiences this warrior has faced.

For this warrior, though the public thinks they know his toughest battle, has kept largely to himself...

...his biggest enemy.

Again, you stand puzzled... Amazed even...

For this warrior's biggest enemy -

Is Himself

* Disclaimer - What I write here is not intended to be a vain, selfish grab for pity or a stab of vindictiveness at all, and I trust you the readers to understand that. These writings come from my stream of consciousness, a confusing, discordant swirling of thoughts that manage to flow into a coherent flow of ideology from time to time. I've dealt with depression and anxiety for several years now, but become more and more aware of how many people miss it in their day-to-day interactions with those they come in contact with. I've been blessed to meet others who have struggled with the same battle, and it's been a really eye-opening experience to hear their experiences and compare that with how I perceived them before I was aware of them. God is good, He provides strength in the toughest of times in the most unique ways, and His plans for us are "...for welfare and not for evil, to give {us} a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11)"