My promotion party felt like a funeral inside

I spent the whole night in Austin smiling and accepting drinks while my mind was stuck on the medical bills piling up at home. Has anyone else had to celebrate a win while dealing with a private crisis?

4 comments

4 Comments

cora5182mo ago

Ugh, that hits way too close to home. @michael669 is right about the fake smile, I felt that way at my own birthday dinner last year with a family fight hanging over me. It's a special kind of lonely to be in a happy crowd while your brain is somewhere else entirely.

michael6692mo ago

Fake a smile long enough and your face forgets how to stop.

violaramirez2mo ago

Yeah and then you get home and your jaw actually hurts from holding it all day. @michael669 I had that happen after a long family reunion where my aunt kept asking when I was getting a "real job." My face felt stuck in that polite grin for hours after, like my muscles forgot how to relax. It's not just a feeling, it's a real physical thing. You have to consciously tell your face to stop doing the smile shape.

tara64229d ago

Heard a story from my friend Maria who got a huge grant for her art project, spent the whole gallery opening nodding and sipping champagne while her landlord was calling her about eviction. @violaramirez you're so right about the jaw thing, she told me her face was sore for two days straight from that fake smile she kept glued on. Meanwhile her brain was just running in circles over that rent notice sitting on her nightstand. It's rough keeping two worlds going at once.