Someone asked me a little over a month ago how you know the difference between being sad and being depressed.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I’m sad, I know the exact reason for it, and there are usually pretty clear steps I can and am able to take to soothe myself in a reasonable amount of time.  Depression on the other hand, is like being held hostage inside my own body.  I am aware of everything going on around me, but I can’t connect to anything, or anyone, and I can’t find the energy or motivation to move, mentally or physically.  I’m sad for reasons that lie deep beneath the surface of the superficial inconveniences that life tends to present.  It’s like being in a sunken place of my own creation.  Last year I was more depressed than I realized.  I was on auto pilot for much of the year, just going through the motions of my obligations, until one day I just shut down. I couldn’t get out of bed for days, except to shower and eat.  And eat I did.

Photo: Reggie LJ

When the Social Strategist known as Lil Uzi Vert was asked how he responds to critics of his fashion choices, calling them “feminine,” his response was perfect.  “You know what it is? They’ve never felt these fabrics before.”