Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's Crohn..

Hello ladies and gentlemen, cats and kittens. This post is a bit of a bitch to write. It also feels a bit hypocritical, as this is a blog about ME and MY illness and I'm writing a post about people posting about their problems. But if you choose to read further than this line then obviously you want to so thanks for that.
So, anyway, I was inspired to write this post due to the recent influx of endlessly negative posts i've encountered on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites (i repeat SOCIAL NETWORKING - remember that as we will come back to that later). It seems people want to use these sites as forums to spread misery to a wider audience, isn't that nice? NO its not. Its boring. Very boring, and dull.
Now I am by no means perfect, I'm sure there have been times I have tweeted, or posted a status not particularly inspiring or not gut-grabbingly hilarious (although I'm struggling to remember it) as that's human nature. Human emotions mean we are a big melting pot of  feelings, sad, happy, confused, angry etc etc to infinity. Its completely understandable that we have 'off-days'. What I'm referring to are those people who never have 'on-days', and choose to share that with the rest of us.
Life is super hard, people die everyday from old age, in abject poverty, in war-zones and by the hand of someone else. People are suffering RIGHT NOW from life changing illnesses and the desolation of losing a loved one or from crippling anxiety or depression. That completely floors me, I hate it and I want to cuddle each and every one of them and tell them it will get better. But as we know thats impossible, I have nowhere near enough air-miles for a start and my passport hasn't been renewed since 2007.
What people need, and want is to be reminded that there is happiness and good in the world and things can, and do get better. If you let them. If you try. Because we are all in the same boat. Some people have a harder time than others - this in itself is all relative - if you have never experienced pain or misery, the passing of a beloved pet may break you, whereas someone who has lost the love of their life, or a parent may grieve then flourish, happy with their memories and go on to lead a happy life.
I've never lost a parent. My mum and dad are amazing and I suppose I still imagine they will always be there. I know it will hit me very hard when they go, this is understandable, I grieved for a long time over the loss of my Granny Peggy who was an incredible wee Scottish woman, hilarious, gentle and full of fun and wisdom. We adored each other and losing her toughened me up to the world. Not in a negative way, just made me aware I'm strong enough to cope. That was her legacy for me.
I've digressed a bit, my point is that social networking is somewhere to share knowledge, share jokes, chat and make friends, HAVE FUN. All positive things. I for one use things like Twitter as a form of escapism, I love reading all your funny tweets and that you take the time to read mine, and I adore chatting to people from weird and wonderful places all over the world.  Its also been an endless support to me since my diagnosis, a place i can post a question about Crohn's and get over a 100 replies form amazingly helpful and considerate fellow Crohnies. FUN + LEARNING = AWESOMENESS.
Someone recently called my disease a "melodrama". I'm not going to name names as I'm not a horrible person, and besides, that person is tied up in the boot of my car now. Show a bit of respect for the dead, please. This person in a round-about way accused me of using my disease as a way to gain popularity. This made me angry and sad and depressed and then unbelievably grateful that I don't see life that way. I see myself as someone who tries to flourish and enjoy my life IN SPITE of my illness. You, my darling boot-dweller, and all the other negative nellies out there who think this is the way to lead and happy and healthy life, are deluded.
Please try to remember that life can be an amazing thing - for a start you are ALIVE. I almost wasn't, so please relish that and try to get out from behind your keyboard and see that for yourself.

Thank-you for letting me rant x x