Crybaby

I have always loved this song, partly because it is catchy and I love oldies music, but also because I hate the stigmata attached to crying.  True or false:  People who cry are weak.  FALSE.  Babies cry because they want something and they cannot articulate that.  Children cry because they are hurt, or something happens that confuses them.  Why can't adults cry for the same reason?  There are so many different kinds of tears.  Sad tears, happy tears, mad tears, frustrated tears.  I am a hugely emotional person.  I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I cry at everything.  When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING.  You know those heart-wrenching commercials designed by companies to tug at your heartstrings?  Yeah, I cry at those.  The season finale of Friends where everybody goes their separate ways?  Yep, cried at that.  The Notebook?  A whole box of tissue...for the book AND the movie.  It doesn't take much to loosen up my tear ducts.  Here's the one I hate the most:  When I get mad - like really, fiery mad - I cry.  I never have understood it, but it's kind of like I feel so lost and frustrated that I just cry.  I cry when I am happy, when I am sad, when I am mad, when I feel lost or at the end of my rope, when I am frustrated, when I receive bad news, when I see something heartwarming, etc., etc.  Why does this make me a weak person?  Yeah, I'm a fireball of emotions waiting to explode at any second.  So what?  Sometimes a good cry really makes everything better.  I hate to cry in front of other people, however; it is NOT pretty.  My face gets all red and splotchy, my eyes fill, my nose runs, and my makeup gets shot to hell.  Ever heard the phrase "ugly cry"?  Pretty sure that's named for me, 'cause let me tell you when I cry it is U-G-L-Y.  Sometimes, though, you just can't hold it back.  As blech as I may look afterward, I feel cleansed.  For a few minutes, it feels like the next cry is far off in the future.  I have cried so much at times it is a wonder my body has any tears left.  The thing I like so much about Lesley Gore's song is that even though it is about a spoiled little girl who is upset that her boyfriend has left with another girl, she is sending a message about crying.  "Hey, guess what?  This is my house and my party and if I want to cry, I will."  I think that should apply to the rest of life as well.  I should just say, "Hey, guess what?  I am really (insert emotion here) right now, and I am going to cry.  Deal with it."  Better stock up on the tissues.  This crybaby is here to stay. 

P.S. Just as I was wrapping this up, I was reminded of another "cry" song I love, so I'm adding it too.  Long live the great Janis Joplin.