The World Stress You and Creep You

Several years ago I was in a class at ACU wherein we were given a test to help determine the level of stress we were under. As I remember it, there was a long list of thing that might be going on in someone’s life or that might have happened in the previous twelve months. Each of these items was given a point value and when you added up your score you could check it on a scale to see if you were under any stress and to what degree. I don’t remember my exact score, but I remember being through the roof. Things that happened in that twelve-month period were things like the death of an immediate family member, the birth of a daughter, a move, and a job change- not to mention every-day stuff like Abilene traffic jams. Officially I think I blew right through the “Extreme Stress” level and then something minor like a paper cut took me over the edge from “Holy crap, call an ambulance!” to the “Talk him down from that clock tower and put him in a rubber room” level.

Lately, I have been feeling the creeping effects of Too Much once again. Too Much is an old family member that so many of us share. Often we only hear from Too Much on special occasions when we get a quick call or maybe a card but lately Too Much keeps begging for an invitation to stay for an extended visit. Frankly, my somewhat Ecclesiastical view of late suggests that so little of what may be supposed to be stressful matters anyway. Maybe that will take some of the edge off. Still, here is the kind of stuff going on right now.

An immediate family member is battling cancer. Many of you may know who it is, but they wish for their battle to be personal and largely private, so let’s try to honor that. Eventually I may talk more about it, but not yet.

We are remodeling our house. I really like our contractor and all, but face it- he’s a contractor and we’re remodeling our house. I mean, come on! Seriously, he’s ahead of schedule, so that’s good. But right now we have no TV and no phone. Not bad for a vacation or if your name happens to be Gilligan, but a bit of a stressor around the house.

I basically have three jobs. I may just have to say “No” to job number four- that gig as an underwear model. No sense giving everyone else stress, too.

I am working on a project outside one of my jobs but which has a quick deadline.

I seem to have forgotten how to sleep at night which means I am operating on precious little of it during the day.

Several other items which I cannot really reveal.

Honestly, it doesn’t approach “Talk-him-down-from-the-tower” Level, but I feel as though I am signaling for that exit. Or, since I like mixed metaphors, if I’m not climbing the tower it may be because I am circling the drain.