ST. JOHN’S, NL – When taking her lunch hour outside on a bench yesterday, Samira Kader devoted the majority of her break to sobbing uncontrollably. Kader asserted that crying in public was the latest step in her self-care ritual and had effectively replaced anything else she previously did to take care of herself.
“My therapist suggested that I work on expressing myself, instead of repressing and bottling up my emotions,” Kader said in between belaboured heaves. “So now, when the feeling of overwhelming helplessness arises, I pull a Sheryl Sandberg and lean into it and get those toxic feelings out!”
When asked what could possibly cause her to break down so aggressively and frequently, Kader stopped and asked incredulously, “Are you kidding?! Everything is shit, and I don’t even just for me personally, although that in itself is a nightmare. When I think of ICE, sexual harassment, the opioid crisis, the abuse of Indigenous rights, sexual assault, the fact that there are Nazis in 2018… I honestly don’t understand why everyone isn’t wailing all the time.”
Kader has devoted a set time everyday to bawling, going so far as the schedule it into her Google calendar in order to receive notifications for what she’s dubbed ‘Howlin’ Hour.’
“Oh God, sometimes a bath bomb isn’t enough, you know?” Kader weeped. “I can’t keep masking how horrible I feel with face masks. I need to scream and blubber and all these motherfuckers that walk around with their perfect bills of mental health will just have to endure it.”
Most passerbys avoided Kader public display of self-care, only glancing at her out of the corner of their eyes. However several were seen muttering the word “brave” to themselves and wiping away tears.
