Retreat, Regroup and Return

I have found a limit today. Evidently, four weeks of forced helplessness and pain is my limit. I didn't know it when I woke, but suddenly I am ready to turn off my phone, tell people to leave me alone, get rid of the extra tabs in my browser, and cry when I can't find a measuring cup. I've had it. It's so bad that I am here on my computer, typing with my arm in an uncomfortable position, making pounding noises on the keys that I haven't produced in four weeks.

I am usually a social person, happy to hear from everyone (except the people I hate, who are few) and quick to find some energy for communicating. My patience is gone. Every time my phone goes "beep beep beep beep" to indicate a new text message, I startle and then curse loudly. In my mind, there are legions of torturers out there who are trying to distract me and put me to extra effort pushing buttons and answering inane messages. The Terminix man appearing at my door and saying "good morning" is only there to force me out of my chair and across the room, letting heat into my house as he lounges in my air conditioned foyer. I have one (ONE!) chore to do on my computer and I'm angry at the friend who hasn't called with the information that I need to complete it.

In a minute I'm going to cuss someone out on the intercom, grab two beers and take the chute route from my plane. I will do the ultimate "take this life and shove it". It doesn't matter that this whole thing is my fault. I packed yarn in a space bag. I left a space bag next to the door of my bedroom. I walked across the room without looking at the floor. No wait, it goes back way further. I ignored my family history and past symptoms and chose a stressful career that would certainly make me a setup for an autoimmune disorder. I took extra prednisone so that I could keep working (and playing) longer, destroying my bones and increasing my weight. I produced a body that would almost certainly break when challenged.

Okay, you can see where this is going, right? Pretty soon I will be convinced that I produced the all the bad stuff in the world, including climate change and political conservatism. I am on a downward spiral that will leave me huddled in my recliner watching Fox News and the Lifetime network. Self-pity, anxiety and self-indulgence, you are my friends.

Fortunately the last ring of my phone occurred just after the third paragraph and a friend reminded me to "retreat, regroup and return". Just the right coaching for today. Any other advice would have been too religious or too complicated, just the things to make me angry instead of contemplative and calm. For once, I'm going to listen to outside help instead of knitting furiously until my mind is numb and my body hurts more.

Peace.