Cross-posted from Otherwise

Part of my job is being available as a “contact person” at some events. The main purpose is to address problems promptly if something happened at the event, but often I end up hearing from people who are stressed about something unrelated. Sometimes they need someone to listen to what's front-of-mind for them, which has included:

• They lost a pregnancy and they’re dreading people asking them about it
• Their marriage has fallen apart
• They just lost a family member to suicide
• They’re having a fight with their mother about whether to make an expensive flight to a family funeral
• Their baby is sick, their partner is handling it alone, and they need to decide whether to fly back early
• Somehow everything just feels wrong and embarrassing and they feel like crying

And sometimes I’ve been that person. I remember sitting down with a [...]

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.