The Last Global MeetUp Didn’t Go As I Expected and I Couldn’t Be Happier

Being homebound for some time now (way before sheltering in place started), I have become an idea factory. I had the brilliant idea to hold another Global MeetUp. But this time, there would be a theme.

Feeling anger and frustration

With everything that is going on in the world right now, from the pandemic to the #blacklivesmatter movement finally getting the attention it deserves, I could feel a sense of anger and frustration in the world. Who didn’t feel it, right? Everyone was finally experiencing what has been my normal for quite some time, while seeing murders of black lives being brought to light, coupled with adjusting to a new normal, and cohabitating with change and uncertainty. I grabbed my phone, opened my Over App, and typed “I’m Pissed Off!” as the title of my TSW/Eczema Global MeetUp.

Expressing anger and frustration

As I posted up the cool new flyer I made, I was excited to be creating a space where fellow itchy people could really express what they were thinking. In the flyer I encouraged warriors to use colorful language and to express themselves in whatever way they felt appropriate. We got feedback right away from warriors itching to share a piece of their mind with our community, as requests piled in for the Zoom link. They were just as frustrated as me, and I was excited to hold a space for them to express that anger.

Finding myself in a good mood

The hours leading up to the meetup, I found myself in a really good mood. Which kind of annoyed me because just a week prior I was in a sour mood, and weeks before that I was in a weird funk. So of course, for me to be in a great mood the day of my “I’m Pissed Off!” MeetUp made sense. Geez. Sean’s brainchild of an intro played as the MeetUp began, and I saw windows of warrior’s faces lighting up at his brilliance. Everyone was in a good mood! What in the world? We were all laughing and smiling at each other. But why did I expect otherwise?

Connecting with others who understand eczema

I reminisced back on the very first in-person MeetUp I put together back in March 2019. My face was oozing and I was dealing with so much stress, since for some crazy reason I decided to put it all together myself. But as soon as the first warrior arrived, I was smiling ear to ear. I couldn’t help but finally feel at home with people who understood exactly what I was going through.

An eczema family reunion

So that’s exactly what the angry meetup was - a reunion of skin family from around the world that you never knew you even had. As each Global TSW/Eczema MeetUp has been. This “angry” meetup was our 5th Global MeetUp now - you’d think I would have learned by now that it’s always a great time! We shared battle wounds, shared wisdom on how to deal with anger, and vented a bit here and there; and in the end, we were all smiles.

Battling life and eczema simultaneously

And that’s when I realized that truly, we are the strongest warriors around. To be dealing with everything the rest of the world is dealing with, and on top of that, still battling an illness that would bring even the strongest person to their knees. And we’re all doing this with a smile on our faces. Amazing. #proudofthiscommunity