It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in the town square. I’d stopped by to grab a coffee and maybe sit through a few poems at the pop-up poetry event. But as I strolled through the rows of folding chairs, I did a double-take. There, standing near the makeshift stage and holding what looked like tiny notecards, were none other than the Minions. Yes, the Minions. Banana-loving, adventure-seeking, chaos-bringing Minions—right here in the town square, attending a poetry reading.
I shook my head, figuring it must be some kind of heat-induced mirage. But sure enough, they spotted me, and one of them, Dave, waved me over excitedly. "Bruce! Bruce!" he squeaked. "We’ve got something special!"
“Yeah!” chimed in Kevin, bouncing with anticipation. “We wrote a poem - Ode to Emotions! Like in your program, you know? We’re Mental Health Warriors now!”
I blinked in surprise. It’s not every day you hear about minions following the Mental Health Warrior Program I developed to help people empower themselves to overcome life’s challenges. I’d created the program based on my 20-year battle with Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety, and PTSD. It is a self-help approach designed to help people, myself included, take charge of their mental health, using emotions as tools rather than enemies. And now, apparently, the Minions were onboard too.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I settled into a chair just as the Minions took the stage. Kevin cleared his throat dramatically, adjusted his glasses, and with a reverent air announced, “Ladies and Gentleminions, we present to you: An Ode to Emotions!”
The crowd applauded, and the Minions launched into their masterpiece, pausing here and there to provide “expert” commentary on each verse.
The Minions’ Poem: An Ode to Emotions
"Emotions are strange little friends," Stuart began, looking deep and philosophical for a moment. "Like shadows that come and go…"
Bob, ever the dramatic one, put a hand to his forehead. “At first, emotions are scary, yeah? Like, ‘Oh no! Am I sad? Am I mad? Am I hungry?’ We don’t know!”
Kevin nodded, adding in his surprisingly thoughtful tone, “But as Bruce taught us, they’re just trying to tell us something. When you listen to emotions, they stop being so scary. Like when I used to feel jealous of Stuart’s fancier goggles.” He gestured to Stuart, who nodded with a smug little smile.
"They might make us hide, they might make us shout," Dave recited, then added with a grin, “But we learned not to run from them. Right, Kevin?”
Kevin turned to the audience, nodding sagely. “Exactly! Running from emotions is like trying to run from a banana. Eventually, you slip up and they catch up with you. But when we stand still, we understand them. Bruce says it’s about allying with them.”
He turned to me and gave a thumbs-up.
“Allying!” Bob echoed enthusiastically, though he looked unsure if he knew what that word meant.
"Joy, sorrow, fear, or love, all have something wise to say," Stuart continued, doing his best to look like a wise sage.
“That’s right!” Kevin interjected. “For instance, when I feel scared, it’s usually because I’m about to do something important. Like when we tried to operate that rocket ship…okay, maybe that was a lot scary.”
Stuart leaned into the mic. “Emotions make life colorful,” he said, clearly proud of himself.
“They give us red anger, blue sadness, and yellow joy!” He winked at the crowd, who chuckled. After all, what’s a Minion without yellow joy?
They continued with the poem, illustrating each line with their own ridiculous, heartfelt interpretations.
"So embrace your emotions, for they are the key," Bob recited, spreading his arms wide as if he was about to hug the entire crowd. "To unlock happiness, purpose, and free you to be!"
Stuart took this opportunity to chime in. “That’s right! Emotions aren’t here to trap us; they’re here to guide us, like tiny voices saying, ‘Go this way, don’t trip, stay away from that ledge, please don’t jump off that building, Kevin!’”
He nudged Kevin, who rolled his eyes but grinned.
"Each emotion a little tool, a small friend in disguise," Dave recited. "To teach us strength, wisdom, and make us wise."
Kevin waved his hand, “Yep, even anger. Like the time I got so mad at the vending machine that ate my last quarter. I thought, ‘This is it, I’m destroying this machine,’ but then I remembered, ‘No! This is anger talking!’ So I used it as fuel to shake the machine gently until my candy bar fell out. Bruce says emotions can be a motivator, right?”
I laughed and gave him a thumbs-up. "Exactly, Kevin. Just as long as the machine survives the ordeal!”
The Minions’ Mental Health Tips (Inspired by the Program)
After finishing the poem, Kevin, feeling a bit scholarly, turned to the crowd and shared a few more “pro tips” about emotions as Mental Health Warriors:
Don’t be afraid of emotions.
“If you feel scared of sadness or mad at fear,” Kevin explained, “it’s okay! Bruce says emotions aren’t enemies, they’re like different colors on a painting. You wouldn’t be afraid of the color red, right?” “Unless it’s a red button,” Stuart chimed in. “Then you definitely don’t want to push it.”
Learn to let emotions speak—but not shout.
“Yeah,” Dave added, “you gotta listen but not let them take over. Like if Bob’s feeling grumpy ‘cause he didn’t get his banana, he has to say, ‘Hey, I’m grumpy!’ But he doesn’t actually throw the banana at anyone.” Bob sighed, looking a bit sheepish, “Yeah, that one time was an accident. But Bruce helped me learn it’s okay to feel grumpy without, you know… banana-ing someone.”
Celebrate the small wins.
“When we manage our emotions, even a little, it’s a win!” Kevin declared, holding his arms up triumphantly. “Like the other day, I didn’t get all bouncy with too much energy. I just channeled it into cleaning the lab. Bruce says celebrating these little steps makes us stronger. It’s like leveling up in a video game!” “And we love leveling up!” Stuart yelled, pumping his fist in the air.
Wrapping Up the Minion’s Ode to Emotions
As they finished their performance, the crowd clapped and cheered, clearly enchanted by the Minions’ heartfelt, if unconventional, take on mental health. Kevin, still glowing from the applause, turned to me with a grin.
“Bruce, we’re so glad you helped us become Mental Health Warriors. Managing our emotions has made our adventures more fun, and way less likely to end in explosions!”
I chuckled. “I’m proud of you all. You’ve come a long way!”
The Minions gave me a collective hug, nearly knocking me over in the process, and then scampered off, chattering excitedly about their next adventure. Watching them disappear, I couldn’t help but smile.
Mental Health Warriors come in all shapes, sizes, and, apparently, colors. And with the Mental Health Warrior Program’s guidance, we can take on the world and triumph over our challenges, one banana, oops, one balanced emotion at a time!
Bruce Schutter
Creator of Mental Health Warrior Program and Challenge Coin
*NOTE: If you are looking for other poems and empowering insights, check out my book “Thoughts to Ponder on Mental Health Disorders”
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