“So, depression and anxiety are like two sides of the same coin?” The Chaplain asked.
We were standing in the kitchen one morning. I’d just walked in the door after a night shift. It had been a busy night, partly because I had floated to another floor. I didn’t know where anything was (including my patients’ rooms), and had more patients in my assignment than we have on my own floor. I didn’t have the entry code for the supply room. It was like a field trip where all the doors were locked and there wasn’t a map. I didn’t mind it.
As usual, though, I was exhausted, and hadn’t had time for a real break. Instead, it had been five minutes here, five minutes there. On one of those five minute breaks, I’d come across a research article entitled “Get Excited: Reappraising Pre-Performance Anxiety as Excitement,” by Alison Wood Brooks, published in Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2014. Sometimes journal articles bogs me down, but overall, I’m a fan of reading about research studies. (If you didn’t already know I was a nerd, there you are.)
When this publishes, I’ll be on a train to New York, but as I write, my trip is a little less than two weeks away.
But the way I feel today is exactly what set me on the path towards this trip in the first place. In hopes that things are different when I come back, I wanted to save the feels from today, the ones I would like to be able to approach with a little more aplomb and a little less rigidity.
I’m feeling stuck.
I don’t remember when I first heard about Trevor Noah, but probably when he started hosting Late Night TV. I haven’t watched much of him, but a big deal was made of him in the news, and I think some of his shorts came up on YouTube when I was watching episodes of John Oliver, who is funny and educational, if a little crass at times. I enjoyed the few spots of Trevor Noah that I watched when I came across them. Then, the Chaplain got his audiobook, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.
It took me a while to get around to listening to it. It has some language, so I couldn’t listen when the kids were around. But once I got started, I found ways to keep listening.
What a great story. Noah is a fantastic storyteller, and an amazing narrator. He seamlessly switches between accents and languages to become a one-man show re-enacting the story of his growing up years. His perspective is fascinating, the cultural narrative is fascinating, and the story itself was interesting and unpredictable. He provides historical information about apartheid in South Africa and even offers some perspective on race in America. He goes back and forth to tell different parts of the story, braiding the different threads to bring everything together at the end.
If you enjoy well-narrated audio, comedic writing, and good storytelling, this is an excellent choice for your next listen.
I have tried to get decent photos of the audio books I listen to, and I’m sure there is plenty of info on the internet about how to take good photos of screens. Unfortunately, that’s not something I want to be good at, so I’m trusting that if you find the reading recommendations you find here helpful, you will be able too look past my lack of effort in this regard.
I came across Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero, at my parents’ house on a visit over the summer. A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have given it a second glance.
When I asked my dad about it, I was a little surprised when he lit up and started talking. He sent me my own copy, and I started reading it. I think I was only a few paragraphs in when I started looking for a pencil.
What are your best sensory memories? What about it is the part that makes the memory special? Was it the company, that time of your life, or other sensations tied to the tastes, smells, or textures?
One of my favorite treats is Jelly Belly jelly beans, at least, the good flavors. I understand this “good” is different for everyone. For me, it’s pear and peach flavor, along with a few others. When I first bite into a pear Jelly Belly, I am taken to Amish Country in Lancaster County, PA.
I was there with my family as a teen. In an indoor market, one of the stalls allowed you to buy Jelly Belly jelly beans by the pound AND by the flavor. Which means you could pay the exorbitant price of Jelly Bellies, but not end up with any of the gross ones (I’m looking at you, popcorn, root beer, and black licorice). I left with a whole bag of the best ones – fruity ones, some tart ones. Just sweet, chewy goodness. And the weight of the bag shifting in my lap in the car as we drove away.
