Let's show enthusiasm!

Tweet

I suffered an injury a few years back and, gradually, ever since, I've felt a growing lack of enthusiasm for virtually everything. I can still be happy or sad about things, circumstances and people, I can still empathize with them, but there is no real excitement associated with my feelings. It gets to a point where sometimes people get angry at me for not showing enthusiasm, so sometimes I actually have to*GASP* fake it! "YES! I AM EXCITED ABOUT YOUR NEW FRIDGE! LOOK AT THAT FREEZER SPACE! WOW-WEE-WOW!". I miss getting "giddy". I never get "giddy" anymore. I started to notice this when I got some things that I've always wanted to get or achieve and I couldn't feel any excitement about them. Just a "oh, how nice" reaction which wasn't at all satisfactory. In conversations, I have to make an effort to put conversational flow-matching facial expressions on, or people might judge me incorrectly. The thing that I don't like so much is that people often think I'm angry or sad when I'm just OK, just OK, you know? It's a little difficult sometimes, and tiring too. Online, you can just put on smiley faces, though I suppose that can be a strain on the fingers as well :) I am posting this because X-mas is getting closer. Got to put your X-mas face on, otherwise people might get angry or upset! I think of "genki" japanese workers hurrying along to show their ultra-enthusiasm to their boss. I think of Seinfeld's Elaine and her exclamation points. It's just a funny mental picture. Maybe someone out there can relate.