Thursday, January 25, 2007

sreaming, yelling, etc.

What a week, huh?

I don't know what is happening where you are, but up here the sky is falling. All this screaming, yelling, fighting, crying, pushing, shoving, dramatic melt-down kind of stuff.

I have one friend in the hospital and another waiting to start chemo. A relative is going through a divorce and another friend just had a murder where he works. My aunt died. And my wife is on the condo board! You can imagine what that does to her.

And then there are also my clients.

I had four in high crisis mode this week. Interpersonal and intra-psychic conflicts abound. The phone calls, and now even emails come pouring in. "Help I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Yes you can. Here, sit up, now put your hand here, now balance, now stand up. See, there you are, upright.

That's what I've learned after doing this for thirty years. Be patient, stay calm, breathe, balance. Most of the time, things get better. Most of the time. It works much better for psychological stuff than physical stuff. Breathing deeply will not cure cancer. Thinking good thoughts won't stop bad cells from multiplying, you need protons and drugs for that. Thinking good thoughts may save a marriage, or avoid a personal melt-down. But that takes some dsscipling and re-training.

After thirty years, I've become good at that. Or maybe I'm just too passive

4 comments:

Amanda said...

I'm sorry about your aunt. And about your wife being on the condo board. Boards suck. I avoid them like the plague.

I've learned to (mostly) sit on my hands, when it gets too much. Still freak out over nothing, but I don't feel compelled to share it with my (offline) environment anymore.

Passivity is concentrated strength.

Jay M. said...

It's been kind of a mess over here too. Deaths and breakups and heartbreaks and this god-awful Midwest winter. The sky is gray for two-and-a-half months, and not seeing the sun tends to take its toll on people.

I like the idea, though, of being able to stand up if you rationalize it. I'm going to give it a try.

TGS said...

I'm sorry to hear about all of the misery. I hope it all improves.

skinnylittleblonde said...

Awww...I'm so sorry!
My week has been similar ... everyday has had something else going on. Brother in hospital, neice in hospital, root canal here, snafu after snafu at work, hubby not getting paid on time, heat going out.... ugh!
'It takes days like these...'

Some of your words made me think of this drawing my sister did... LOL, she said that when she drew it, she felt like she was an egg balanced atop the world ever so carefully & looking so composed, but teetering she knew that if she fell that they would be there with spatulas & wire whisks, frying pans & such... Perfectly balanced in a world ready to fry you up.

Sweet Peace To You!
http://justgivemepeace.blogspot.com/2006/09/king-of-dread-singleton-outsider-art.html