Imminent disaster...or not.
I should change this from Blissfully Naked to Diary of any Pending Doom. Nice ring to it, eh?
As positive and upbeat as I tend to be regarding others and their lives, I am continually appalled/mildly amused and sort of troubled by my tendency to immediately think great tragedy is about to befall me. I present to you an example of the way I react to simple everyday events:
I wonder if part of this is that "oldest child" syndrome. You know...your parents throw all the worry and obsession into you because you're the firstborn, so you develop this over hyped sense of pending disaster based on your parents reacting strongly to every single stimulus that enters your life. Problem with this great tendency towards thinking the absolute worst...is that I react to things that may actually be relatively small with great force. Kinda like using a jackhammer to kill a gnat.
This reminds me of my Dad. Totally and fully. His approach to healing during my youth was..."something hurts on your hand? Chop off that limb, cauterize the wound and get ta HEALING!" We both laugh about this now of course and realize it's utterly ridiculous...but how do you stop going all Rambo on situations in your life?
I mentioned to a friend the other day that I spend great amounts of time trying to figure out how to best approach a conversation I sense coming in the future. I was concerned about the level of outrage I might bring to it. I know I've been a jackhammer in the past, when I might have learned and benefited more by just...not reacting to what I've heard or seen. By letting listening, do the driving. My friends response...
"You have your solution. You said it yourself. Don't react. Just let the conversation unfold. Try listening instead of forging in to immediately fix what you think might be broken. Perhaps nothing is broken at all."
The simplest notion. Just...don't react. Observe.
Can you imagine the type of energy I can preserve with this alien notion? Observation? It seems...so...passive. LMAO. Anyway...that's a new suit I'm trying on these days. It's been in the closet for years. Perhaps it will fit now.
Comments
I. Do. This! It's the drama-queen in me.
Especially the email from my boss and the dog thing. Bella has these weird dreams that make her shake. I've always think is having a seizure and try and supress my instinct to run over and shaking her to consciousness, but I can't.
I really only relate to the last one. I'm thinking of buying a car at the moment. I just know it will be a lemon. Waaaaaaah.
I loved "Dear Jesus, she's hemorrhaging!" LMAO
*makes note to stop shaking the hell out of mecca during her sleep to check her vitals*
No, the key word was try in that comment.
That was probably the most incoherrent comment I've ever written....sober.
Umm, yeah, our birthday's aren't close for nothing. I check the kids on every trip to the bathroom during the night---you know, gotta make sure no one's trying to steal them and their asthma isn't acting up.
Despite my love-hate relationship with a cat who adopted us, I had to take it to the vet to make sure it was healthy and got a rabies shot---that was to make sure it couldn't give the kids rabies.
I'm the oldest, too, so that could very well be it. Oh, well, I'm off to go blow something else out of proportion. LMAO
It must be oldest child syndrome, which is distinctly different from only child syndrome. I have actually prohibited family from calling before 8 a.m. because I am tired of having heart palpitations every time the phone wakes me up.
And I would highly recommend NEVER getting the worst-case scenario survival guide calendars. I have a fear of elevators and one of them advised jumping on someone if the elevator starts plummeting so that you have a cushion. Guess what, if you're in an elevator with me, I'm sizing you up.
Only children make me a little crazed. There is a distinct difference, duly noted. I do well with other oldest child types. We all seem to understand the phobias and oddities. So nice to know there's a place for us...
As for this calendar I don't wanna see it. And judging from Spooktastic's reaction, I may just run from it.
@Yolie: I don't even have children yet and I'm exhausted...
LOL!
This makes me think you have a Jewish mother living in Miami or a Catholic one living in Boston or, possibly, that your name is Harold (I'll pay your next month's ISP fee if you can cite the reference).
Thanks for lightening the end of my work day.
When the phone rings at 6AM...I usually say, "I know that you had a horrific lapse in judgment cause you know I don't do phone at this time." I did that to my mom and she hasn't called me at that time since.
Phone rings at 6am: Something terrible happened to those I love. Afterwards tears of relief, wrong number!
Doorbell rings at 2pm: I'm at work, no worries here, yay!
Email from boss: How much extra work is this going to involve?
Annoying comment from ...: Does (s)he do that on purpose to annoy me? Does (s)he like to vex me?
Don't talk to a friend for several weeks: Nobody loves me. I wonder how many (few, really) will be at my funeral?
Impulse purchase of shoes: This will probably be the 74th pair of shoes I'm never going to wear.
See cute couple walking down the street: Do they have to throw their happiness in my face?
Truck window won't operate: Help! What am I doing in a truck? I want to get out!
Ok, this is somewhat related and yet my mind shoots off on tangents. But this is about what went through my head reading your post.
There was a line in the movie The Matrix, where Neo is sitting on the floor with a little bald headed kid who is supposedly bending spoons with his mind. Neo asks how he does it. The kid tells Neo that bending the spoon is impossible, because it doesn't exist, therefore it is yourself that must bend. That is much like the advice that was given to you:
"You have your solution. You said it yourself. Don't react. Just let the conversation unfold. Try listening instead of forging in to immediately fix what you think might be broken. Perhaps nothing is broken at all."
Now, do you think that's air you're breathing? LOL! Great post, thanks for sharing.