Didja ever have one of those days? One of those days when you just can’t do or give or handle or cope any more? One of those days when you just can’t look at one more appeal for funds to save starving children or horribly abused animals or one more ravaged mountain or river? One of those days when the political parties strike you as arguing spoiled children with no care for anything or anyone except their own egos, agendas, and desires?
Of course, you have. Today is my day.
I’m not sure why it’s come to a head today. Maybe it’s the oppressive and seemingly everlasting drought and heat in Texas. Even though I rarely leave the house and the AC keeps it bearable inside, there’s something about the weather that seems to seep through the windows and walls. It gets me down.
Or maybe it’s just the fillip of weather on top of compassion fatigue. We all know what that’s like, the never ending appeals for aid that we’d all love to provide if only we had more to give. All it takes is one more straw.
Well, this past governmental “debate” over whether or not America would be able to pay her bills struck home. As a retired federal civil servant and someone of an age to be on Medicare and Social Security, I got a little bit nervous. Not that I didn’t think something would be arranged (they may be selfish arguing children but they’re not stupid), and even though I believe that things will always be OK for me, I’m not always sure what that “OK” will entail.
I’d still be able to pay my bills (I think), but it all seemed to add up to a sense of “I’m tired and I can’t do this any more.” Of course, there’s not really much of an option to doing it some more, but the feeling is real and it’s valid.
I think there comes a time when we need to be willing to let the rest of the world go to hell in a handbasket. Not that we actually quit caring about the rest of the world but that we simply be willing to let it go. We’ll get back to it in a while.
I think we have to recognize that while we can’t do everything (which most of us understand), maybe for just one day we don’t have to do anything. And we can accept that, though it may be hard.
We need to take a break. We need to say, “Here, YOU do it,” to whomever or whatever we feel like saying that to. Even if actually doing this is not an option.
Today is my day. I’m outta here. YOU do it – or not. But I’m taking a break. I hope you do, too, on the day(s) you realize you need to do it. It could save your life.
I took my break on Sunday, escaping from the world by playing computer games for most of the day. I play thiinking games so you have to give them your full attention and can’t think abou what’s going on in the rest of the world. Hope your days gets better
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Hi Pat. Yes, I like those kinds of games, too. Sometimes it’s computer games, sometimes it’s crossword puzzles, but when I’m involved in them, my conscious mind is busy while my unconscious/intuitive mind is able to finally come to the fore. Those can be very productive and creative times and I too seldom allow them to occur. I’m too busy “taking care of the world.” Today, as I wrote, I’m outta here. LOL Thanks for reading and commenting. Sam
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Sam, I do think it is the heat. I am here in North Texas and when I dare to get out I notice all of the people are walking like zombies, fearful of stirring up any more heat in their bodies. The heat is so oppressive, and all of my beautiful plants, and flower beds are burnt up because we a quickly running out of water. I can’t do anything but give up, and feel powerless. Any time now we are going to start rolling blackouts and that will be even more miserable. This too shall pass, and then you will be able to return and begin again. I get it. Helen
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Hi Helen. I’m not sure if it’s the heat or the barometric pressure that’s affecting me. Or just my personality or something. I’ve never considered myself to be especially sensitive to weather changes and such but I’m beginning to think I may be more so than I realized. In any event, I have pictures of rain in Texas when our dry creek was flooded nearly up to the house (quite a distance) and the dirt driveway was so boggy that SO’s truck got stuck, (that was three years ago) so I know it does rain. I can prove it. LOL Some wag once wrote that “Texas is in a state of perpetual drought broken by occasional floods.” I know that droughts are broken by floods and I don’t look forward to that, either, but at this point any kind of change would be pretty welcome. I remember the drought of 1980 and I don’t recall that it was this oppressive. Then again, I was 30 years younger so maybe that makes a difference, too. Oh, well, just August to get through and then I’m hoping there will come a break. Thanks for coming by. Stay cool. Sam
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AMEN…………..and thank you
Between some family addiction issues
a totaled van
and then the circus in D.C.
not to mention 100+ heat index
I’ve wondered what there is to look forward to!
Joie
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(Once again a reply that was sent by email didn’t make it back to the comments section. I don’t understand why they sometimes do and sometimes don’t. Anyway, I wasn’t ignoring you. *G*)
Well, Joie, sometimes just getting it off your chest can help a whole lot. Since I vented so publicly to everyone I feel much, much better. Or maybe it’s just because the sun has gone down and even though it’s still 94 at 10:15, it seems cooler and perception is reality in most cases. I guess it’s just been one of those days. Thanks for coming by and commenting. Sam
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Hmm. For a few years I thought I’d like to live in Texas. That idea is melting fast as an uneaten sno cone. I’m so with you on the ideas you state, of turning loose. Well put. Enjoy your break.
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Well, Sharon, fortunately, Texas isn’t like this most of the time, although summertime heat is always an issue anywhere in the south and southwest. Generally, getting through a Texas summer is richly rewarded by a Texas winter. Most of the time that’s great. I sure hope we get an extra good reward for making it through this summer! LOL And, of course, Texas is so big that, in most cases, you can pick very, very different climates in which to live and still be in Texas, from the western desert and mountains to the Gulf coast to the piney woods of east Texas to the plains of north Texas. Me, I’m happy in central Texas where the hills and the trees are my size! I’ve lived here nearly fifty years and even though I recall a really bad drought from around 1980, this is the worst time I’ve seen. We haven’t bumped 1980 out of the record books yet but it looks like we will. And we’re not alone in this thing; Oklahoma and other states are struggling, too. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is an anomaly and not going to become a regular thing. Sam
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You hit the nail on the head,Sam and speak for many of us who have had it with our government, the weather, people in general. I actually have tried to limit watching the news because I get so aggravated. I hope Texas cools down soon and that this feeling will pass. I love your “I’m outta here” idea. Taking a break is sometimes the best thing we can do.
Blessings,
Kathy
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I’m baaack!! LOL I think I just needed say, “I’m outta here,” Kathy, to give myself some breathing room. I tend to take on way too much of the energies that are not mine and that I can do nothing about, but then when I do I feel like I just “have to” do something. Of course, that sense of being responsible for stuff that has little or nothing to do with me is something I think a lot of woman struggle with so I’m sure I’m not alone. Sometimes just acknowledging that we can’t do it all and, most especially, that we’re not really supposed to, can be wonderfully freeing. That said, I’m still fed up with government members who haven’t learned to play nice together, with weather that feels like Groundhog Day over and over and over, and just the world in general. But now I’m not “responsible” for it so it’s easier to take. We’ll see how that works for me. LOL Sam
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