A while back, I was with my little cousin of 12 just being ourselves (i.e. silly:P) when somewhere into our conversation she said: "Oh my God, I was so stressed, you should've seen me".
I think I laughed for at least 15 minutes nonstop!!
Did you hear that? A 12-year-old says she's "so stressed"! (What from I wonder? Is her pyjama not pink enough? or did a girl in school show up in a cuter outfit than hers?)
I mean, of course she wasn't really stressed. That's not why I was so shocked and appalled at hearing that; it's the fact that she used those exact words. I mean, what does this tell you?
I didn't have to use too many brain cells to figure out the answer to this question. She just repeated what she hears everyone saying, all the time.
What with all the stressing flying around in the air, and with everyone taking huge portions and helping themselves for seconds, she simply wanted a piece of the pie as well.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that stress is reaching epidemic levels. It seems to me that everyone around (including me) is constantly on the run, with a million things to do and simply not enough time. During the course of one day how often do you hear people complaining of lack of sleep? How many times a day do you personally have a conversation that has to do with how much work you have, how tired you are, or how little sleep you got?
It seems that bonding with people over how stressed you both are seems to be quite the conversation piece. Just approach anyone with a casual "Boy you look tired", and good luck getting them to shut up! I can almost see it transforming into the newest pickup line by guys....
Stressed-yet-cute yawning guy: Look at you, you could definitely use a cup of coffee. What do you say?
Stressed woman with swollen eyes: Oh I'd kill for a cup of coffee, sure!
That may work actually:P
Well anyway, the reason I'm babbling about all that is cuz I read an article today that I thought was worth sharing. What I found particularly interesting in this article is that it offered a very unique perspective of the situation. I was expecting it to go on about how bad stress is for you and give advice on how to take it easy. Instead, the writer talks about what she calls "competitive stressers"- yep, that would be us:)
I say "us" because I'm just as guilty as your next stressed person. We all do it without thinking...
When a friend says she has only slept for 3 hours last night, we automatically start babbling about the day we only slept for 1.5 hours last week and so on and so forth!
I found particulary true the part describing how we seem to correlate a person's level of stress with their success or importance.
I'm not about to relate the whole article to you, but I do recommend that you do read it. However, in case you don't have time or simply can't be bothered, I'll leave you to ponder the article's grand finale!
And next time you are tempted to one-up an overworked, overwhelmed and overly tired co-worker, ask yourself: Is this a contest I really want to win?
2 comments:
"Is this a contest I really want to win?"
Obviously! If you can't appreciate that fact then you have demonstrated complete ignorance as far as the male psyche is concerned. I mean, if you can't prove to the other guy that you're worse off than him and that he shouldn't even bother complaining, then you have nothing.
Now this may sound a little hypocritical coming from a guy who self-admittedly is bumming around at the moment. However, you have to take things into perspective... it's HARD work being a bum. There are so many commitments to be made to the bed and the TV and the computer... it just takes up all my time and, in effect, I have no "me time" anymore. It's sad really.
Oh and the kite incident from many years back? You claim to have done nothing wrong, but let me refresh your memory...
I was minding my own business, literally flying a kite, when you walk up so gingerly, with a twinkle in your eye and not a hint of sarcasm and say "ooooh, that's such a nice kite" or something like that. Automatically and without delay, my kite plunges headfirst into the ground with alarming speed.
I may have been young, but even then I recognized that this event wasn't statistically significant :P. However after 7 or 8 times of the exact same thing happening (and not happening when you said mashallah), I was convinced of some sort of supernatural mongling on your part.
You will deny and I will assert, and in the end, this really isn't scientifically provable. So I'll drop it at this point.
Do I come off as having suffered severe mental trauma as a child? It's probably true, and should make some therapist really rich. I fully expect your salary to contribute to my psychiatric-well-being fund :P
OH MY GOD
RIGHT THIS SEC I'm on the floor laughing my head off! My tummy is ACHING, I don't think I can laugh any more!
I swear to God..You are a complete and utter nutcase!!!!
HEHEHEHHEHEHEHE
TOO funny!!
And to have such a vivid memory of that kite incident- man, have you been holding it in all these years??
I won't EVEN attempt to defend myself, I stand speechless in the face of your apparent kookoo-ness:P
As for your "bumming out ordeal"- darn, I can't type, I'm back to the fits of uncontrollable laughter!
hehehehehehehehe
I assure you, I will more than gladly contribute to your- what was it?- "psychiatric wellbeing fund". I think you could definitely do with such a fund:P
And as far as the "male psyche" is concerned, I do not even attempt to decipher it (and NOT because it's too complicated or sophisticated, oh no:P)
All that aside, I think you should definitely try to get back some "me time" (as long as it isn't "me and my imaginary friends time":P)
HEHEHEHE
Welcome to the world of the locos! You'll fit right in;) (Yes, indeed, I am part of that world since 1984:P)
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