You know, despite all the therapy, medication, introspection, and self analysis, despite being older and wiser and having had all kinds of experience with all kinds of people, I still get these visceral reactions to certain things. While being told something that gets me defensive and angry still causes a physical reaction as well, I can at least keep myself from saying or doing something in response that I might regret later.

It’s still hard, though, don’t you think? You want to do something right away, whether it’s yell and scream, hide somewhere for a good cry, or give in to your juvenile side and dish out some snark. And the whole time that you’re being patient, waiting for a response to your calm and rational counterargument, that inner child is pounding away at you, demanding something melodramatic.

I will let inner child out only when she’s ready to behave herself. Right now she has to sit in the corner.