Red faced and loving it

I've heard of the super bacteria we are growing in our hospitals and schools and homes from our vigilant anti-bacterial efforts. The ease and low cost of administering antibiotics for every ailment no matter how minor is leading to resistant bacteria. Our constant use of hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps every time we was our hands and take a notion that the swine flu is lurking around the corner has actually weakened our ability to deal with even minor bacteria that we would normally have no trouble with. Or so the story goes.

I wonder if that works with emotions as well. Maybe our reluctance to engage in conversation about different ideas and beliefs has cost us our ability to do so. Have we been so conditioned to not get emotional that we don't "know" how to get emotional? Why am I embarrassed when my face gets red when someone says something in a meeting that I don't agree with?

A friend shared with me that he doesn't see emotion as a bad thing at all. He sees it as a filter or maybe even a canary in a coal mine. When rage comes, what is really at the root of it? When I get mad about something, can I take a step back and say: What was that about? And then work through it.

Too often I might say: I can't get mad. I shouldn't say anything because that just might make it worse. Maybe if I ignore it, it'll go away.

But instead of making things better, healthier, and more whole; I'm thinking it just sets me up for sickness and makes the problem even more resistant to treatment.

I imagine if there were just a few more conversations that I didn't smile politely all the way through: would I actually be healthier in the long run?

Sorry if my face gets red.