I received an email this evening with this in the body:

Struggling to find your voice
In the face of conflict we might be tempted to just go with the flow and not make waves. The path of least resistance is saying “yes” when you want to say “no” and that road is always paved with regrets and mistakes. While compromise is good and a necessary part of healthy relationships, no one should have to fully deny their feelings and remain voiceless while others dominate a situation. It might feel easier to nod your head and passively agree, but in the long run you are being cheated. While there might be a whole list of justifications and excuses for stepping off the path of your principles, staying true to yourself reaps countless more rewards than selling out to appease someone else. Reconcile today the negative passivity you have displayed in the past.

Tonight was a good night. Until the end. Then the usual carpooling insanity arises.  I have been so tense and frustrated with it and some surrounding situations that it’s making me not enjoy some of my regular nights dancing. Fortunately most of last night was great.  Other than the end. I ended up having a serious discussion with a friend because there was a bunch of miscommunication that has been bothering me. But, I find it difficult to bring up anything that makes me vulnerable, so I’ve hidden it as much as I could.  I also have realized that I have been fairly sensitive about it…
After the air was cleared last night… (leading to yet another night of little sleep…) I received the above email and while it doesn’t totally apply but in some ways I realize that by not speaking out I’m cheating myself. Because that’s all that’s been going on there, miscommunication, and had I had the courage to speak up and ask, I would have found out much sooner that what was perceived was not what was intended and been much less stressed out overall.
So I hope that having better communication will help reduce carpool stress. For me at least. And, overall, better friendship. It’s also a lesson I can carry into other areas of my life.