Saturday, September 3, 2016

Slow Burn‏

The following is result of Operation Blog Recovery (Of what I could retrieve): The following content is collected from a platform that is no longer operational. Gaps and spaces in the formatted text could be the result of broken and/or expired emoticons, links or web-hosted pictures. You can be assured that the opinions and thoughts expressed are from the original writing. Hell, I’m not even going to correct spelling or grammar. Enjoy! Or not.

Originally posted on 8/31/2009

Current mood:  calm
Category: Life


Thanks to the dutiful diligence of sis, momma and a handsome handyman named Hector, a few much needed home repairs were finally completed this past weekend (Sunday). Coming off of another rough week (emotionally speaking), it was nice to have two working toilets again. It's the little things, ya know? Frankly, I was ready to move myself past some of the debilitating hurt I'd been immersed in lately. Summers are usually great for me but Summer 2009 yielded a few of the hardest-to-get-through weeks I'd experienced in years. I'm not really a "crier" per say but I think I've cried more recently, than I have in more than 10 years. The end of July was a horrendous emotional rollercoaster and last week was yet another week dripping with solemn despair.  This past Friday was probably the worst day of all. As I went through my work e-mails to clean them out, almost immediately I see a recent e-mail from my friend (in the previous blog entry) that I hadn't even responded to. Ironically, it was an e-mail telling me he missed me the night before and he hoped that everything was okay with me (it wasn't). The other tragically ironic twist is that the concern he had for me was directly linked to the end of July horrendous emotional rollercoaster weeks I just mentioned. Talk about irreparable irony. After reading that e-mail from him, I cried so hard I gave myself a severe headache.  So Friday was filled with more crying spells and woulda coulda shouldas. During my last crying spell (of many) that work day, my girl Pam walked in and was stunned to see my bloodshot, tear-ridden swollen saucers (some call eyes) and asked me what was wrong.  (She knew him too.) I told her about the e-mail from him and how I felt like I was being sucked back down another demoralizing drainpipe just when I thought I was getting some of my 'zest for life' spirit back. She did what she normally does when I'm feeling low. Her beautiful benevolence was in full force. By the end of her visit, she had me laughing so hard I almost peed on myself. Seriously, I was crossing my legs and holding my crotch...not a pretty sight but a very welcome change of pace. It wasn't until I was leaving my office and walking with her towards my car that she had me look down at her feet. She didn't tell me why, she just calmly said, "Look at this." She had gotten up super early that morning to cook for a party at work and ended up putting on two different shoes. She didn't even look down at them when she thought something was wrong with her feet because they didn't "feel the same or feel right", as she put it. She didn't even look down at her feet before she called one of her friends and told her she was concerned that her feet were messed up because one didn't feel like the other and she had no idea why.  Hilarious! Even more peculiar than the shoe thing, was the fact that my mind was so preoccupied with other things, that I didn't even notice at first...even when she instructed me to look straight down at her feet. They were very clearly 2 different shoes but she had to give me 'a nudge' first, before I even noticed. Right then, I doubled over in laughter, took my purse camera out and shot video of her shoes, which will probably become a segment in an upcoming ChaunyShort Production. The weekend was full of ups & downs but Pam definitely set some good energy in motion at the start of it. I love her so much for that (and countless other things too). She reminded me that there are still good things going on all around me, if I'd just take the time to really look...even if I need 'a little nudge' to see them at first. As another good friend of mine always says, "That's some good stuff." He's so right. I have two perfectly working toilets again and benevolent beauty is being bestowed upon me in great abundance. I just have to choose to see it. So on my drive to work this morning, I decided to forgive myself. I really try to be the best person and friend I can be. With the best of intentions, sometimes I fail (by my standards) and sometimes I succeed (by my standards) but my heart is usually in the right place.  I'm now getting my address book out and calling friends I-hadn't-but-meant-to stay in touch with for a while. I'm not even halfway through the list yet.  So far, I've been welcomed back with understanding and love, which almost makes it worse but I'm grateful. I'm not expecting that response from everyone and that's fair too. I didn't intend to hide in the shadows for so long, I just needed time to regenerate. While regenerating in my self-created cocoon of fear, tumultuous emotions took over and terrible things happened...and I withdrew even further.  I'm slowly digging myself out though. It'll take a bit more time but I'll definitely get there. Honestly, I've used most of my spare energy for menial, everyday tasks you probably take for granted, like thinking straight or walking in a straight line.  And no, it isn't (100%) alcohol related. Thankfully, my own benevolent spirit is SLOWLY being restored. I say "slowly" because I was so annoyed by the loud talking cell phone guy this morning at work, I didn't even bother to remind him that he shouldn't be using metal tongs to dig his bagels out of the still plugged in (and toasting) toaster in the break room.  He was okay when I left him carelessly prodding a plugged-in appliance with a metal utensil while holding an instrument capable of emitting static electricity to his ear.  He's clearly not the sharpest crayon in the box.  I bet he smokes cigarettes while he pumps his gas and when he lights his charcoal grill.  If he hasn't lived most of his life with singed eyebrows, it's most definitely due to God's benevolence. I don't recall smelling any burnt skin today, so I'm sure he wasn't injured (seriously). At the rate he's going, I'm sure an ER visit will happen soon enough for him. Oh well, that's life I guess.  I did mention my benevolent spirit is returning SLOWLY right?





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