I grew up in the 1970s and the closest thing I had to therapy was my uncle telling me to 'walk it off' after I broke my collarbone - and that phrase became my entire emotional philosophy for the next fifty years - Silicon Canals

"That phrase stuck with me longer than the injury. 'Walk it off' became my answer to everything. Bad day at work? Walk it off. Fight with the wife? Walk it off. Feeling lost after retirement? You guessed it."

"In my neighborhood, therapy was for rich people and crazy people. We were neither. We were working folks who handled our problems the way our fathers did—we didn't talk about them."

"I remember once seeing him cry—just once. His brother died in a construction accident. I walked into the garage and caught him wiping his eyes. Soon as he saw me, he straightened up, cleared his throat, and asked if I'd finished my homework."

A childhood injury led to a lifelong belief in 'walking it off' as a solution to problems. This mindset persisted into adulthood, affecting emotional health. Growing up in a working-class environment, discussing feelings was seen as a weakness. The author reflects on their father's stoic behavior and the lack of emotional communication in their family. Realizing that some issues need to be addressed rather than ignored has been a significant lesson learned later in life.

Read at Silicon Canals