The Pat On The Back

Every time you do something good, every time you build something on your own, every time you learn a new skill, you want to share it with someone. Your family, your partner, your friends. And every time, their lukewarm reactions leave you deflated. You are still the child seeking a pat on the back after showing his parents a trick. They didn't give two hoots and looked away. The void inside you never got filled. You grew up, passed through different phases over the years, but the void stayed. Only one thing could ever fill it: the attention you craved from someone. The proverbial pat on the back. Every time you show someone your hobbies, your work or your skills, you are seeking that pat on the back. Seeking feedback isn't wrong. But this isn't feedback. You want them to like what you did. That longing causes most of the pain, because it is the one thing others can never see in you. The one being rejected may look like an adult, but deep inside he is still a child who just wants…