The other day, I bought sliced meat from the deli and decided that I needed to wrap a portion very well so I could store some in the freezer.

I took out a new roll of plastic wrap, a name brand, not a dollar store version, and followed the “tear here” printed instructions to unroll an appropriately-sized piece using the box’s built-in serrated metal strip.

But no….As I worked to expose the metal strip, it tore loose from the flap of the narrow cardboard carton. Then, I removed the roll, to attempt tearing a piece off outside of the “convenient” packaging and couldn’t find where the coiled clear plastic sheet began.

I spent twenty minutes trying to pull out a 12” x 12” area then cut it with a scissors so I could have fresh ham the following week.

With all the craziness going on in the world,  I felt a little ashamed that I would be bothered by such a thing…but I was.

Whether I’m dealing with packaging that doesn’t actually make it easy to use a product or companies that provide no phone tech support — when things don’t work as they’re supposed to, I seem to go bonkers.

I’m sure my building neighbors can hear me through the walls and floor when I try to talk to Comcast to request they remove a ridiculous charge from my bill (like I did when a season of World Wrestling Federation specials was added to my bill).

There are supposed to be five stages of dying (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). I probably have my own stages for dealing with frustration.

First, there’s upset. I’ll get anxious or I’ll wallow in the thought of not being able to complete something as planned. Then, there’s blaming. Sometimes, I will assume responsibility for an issue, even though others have a similar response. (I know I’m not the only person that finds the lack of customer service or phone support frustrating.)

Then, I will often slip into resignation, maybe toying with some working arounds but concluding that the problem is not fixable.

I eventually move into internalizing. I can get to feeling being thwarted or frustrated is normal. (Holding on to feelings of sadness or powerlessness as depression versus letting out feelings as anger has always been my go-to response.)

I have done a lot of work on myself to be more positive, not to get depressed or be thrown off by frustration, whether caused by things that don’t work as planned or something else.

But sometimes, I can revert to the habit of stuffing my feelings. I guess it’s not the fact of the problem and responding by feeling flustered or stymied or inadequate, but it’s my habit of stuffing my feelings that is the real problem.

I can bounce back from disappointment or set-backs when I have a way to accept and release my feelings.

Sometimes, physical activity provides some release, but demonstrating to myself that my feelings matter really seems to benefit from being heard.

From experience, I don’t feel renewed from this “getting it out” process If my “listener” is trying to solve a problem, as if my life or my perspective needs to me adjusted.

I really can tell the difference if my “listener” is not honoring his or her own boundaries. If, because of time or other things going on in his or her life, they can’t be fully present. I don’t want anyone to feel obliged to hold space with me.

I want to thank Jackie for taking in my story about my experience with Comcast; Chris for understanding many old upsets about past relationships that seem relevant again; Dr. B for listening to my medical history as my “story,” not just as fields in an electronic chart; and others for being engaged at times when I needed to “let it out.”

I want to thank myself for speaking out loud.

I need to let it out. I feel more in balance when I can feel heard at the right time. I feel inspired to pay it forward, to listen to a friend or a stranger who also has to get something out.

Honoring your own feelings by saying them out loud is no small thing.