Draw blood from stone

* While hacking this out after work last night ... halfway through...decided to stop for 5 mins to listen to music...
next thing I know...it is 5.30am...time to get up and go back to work...crap...finish this post first.

I'm sure I'm not the only one. An oft heard complaint about me is that it is very difficult to make me talk, to share 
what is on my mind, my problems, fears, that sort of thing. The emotional stuff. But I make a good listener and
they are happy to come to me when there are issues. (JC - Do not roll your eyes.).To quote a significant someone,
it is like trying to 'draw blood from a stone'. I never reveal things about myself, and if/when I do, they get the
feeling like I'm holding some thing back anyway etc.

It's not like I'm very quiet in real life. Hell no. I am definitely no silent wallflower. Actually, make that stain on the
wall haha. My mouth runs a lot, but its mostly jokes, insignificant things that are good for eliciting a laugh, or just
nothing deep. Very non revealing stuff.

Well, its not that I am cold or unsentimental. No, farrr from it. I think I just find it very hard to talk about myself
just because it is a burden to others. Its like..ok, these are my problems. Now they are compelled to listen, and to
find me find a way to settle them. Of course, my friends would feel offended coz if I regarded em as friends,
I would share it. I just find it hard to be talking about 'my problems'. Its like damn self centred. Hello everyone got problems right. So, what for throw mine into the public fray? I see how others can talk and talk about 
their problems...whole day long.. old problems.. same problems.. recurring problems...and as far as I'm
concerned, of course I would be appropriately sympathetic, listen and all that but at the end of the day, whats
the solution? Either you don't know what you gotta do, in which case, we'll help you figure it out, or, you know
what you gotta do, and if you know, quit whining, and get on with doing it.

I can't sit idly by and listen while the solution is soo obviously glaring in front of me. Don't whine. Don't whinge.
When people tell me their problems, my first instinct is to help em figure out a solution. After all, the POINT is to
eliminate the problem right? That way you are truly helping right? But I learnt sometimes people just want to
moan, and arent looking for a solution. Fine. Time to be sympathetic.

But because I myself tend not to utter sweet nothings that totally does not solve the problem, I also expect none.
I have no idea how to react to sympathetic but non-solutions for my problems. I mean I can listen and listen,
and you can listen and listen, but at the end of the day the problem is still there. So, say and don't say no diff, so
why say? Why not focus on eliminating the damn issue?

But this characteristic of mine is wrong. I am learning to understand that for most people, the comfort is in the
talking, the sharing. Not necessary the solution solving, which more often than not, they also know but just find 
hard to do. If the listener had an ego problem, this situation probably just solves to feed his ego and reinforces
his opinion that ahh I'm such a great listener! While STILL not solving the problem and inspite of the 2 hours of
rambling and crying, the person with the problem walks away with the problem still there.

I don't get it. The problem is STILL there. So how can you walk away feeling better though you've just told
someone? Haihhhhhhhhhhh.... the weird ways of the world. Nvm. Alex, accept it. Try to learn to be a good and
even better listener, be more sympathetic, more forgiving, less harsh, and understand that for some people,
there is comfort in being able to draw in a sympathetic ear when they are facing problems.

Maturing...maturing...