Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Back to Basics


That line in the sky? It is not a product of photoshop. It was really there yesterday afternoon. Crazy!

A client who assesses learning disabilities in children says that my tendency towards being overwhelmed and exhausted is called "Information Processing Disorder." Nice to have a diagnosis! As a kid I was called "too sensitive" or was considered cowardly, shy, or weak. As an adult I decided I was a total introvert, always scoring nearly 100% on the Meyers-Briggs personality type tests.

What the Sufi acupuncturist says is that my nature is "welcoming" - sometimes way too much. I have a curious nature so my initial tendency is bite off more than I can chew. A "welcoming" nature coupled with the fact that I don't have plentiful kidney jing, a.k.a. life force, means I often find myself in a position in which I throw my hand across my forehead and take to my living room sofa, blown away it all.

Whatever it is, the one thing I have learned over time is that sometimes I need to stop - just STOP - cease and desist with the taking in of information and with my persistent attempts to understand the world.

Today and tomorrow I am officially on retreat from the world at large. I'm not going to read anything further about what happened in Tucson, or listen to the new members of the House of Representatives talk about, for instance, how awful the United Nations is. What is THAT about?? Betty Louise, the houseghost, is on her own for a few days. I won't be working so I don't need to extend any healing to anyone except myself.

A trip to the osteopath for some back-to-basics restructuring of my skeleton (which involves a long, boring subway ride), reading blogs, a simple, nourishing, non-provocative homecooked dinner, and a stupid movie is my plan for today.

I am fascinated by all the crazy complexities of life in this form, even the terrible complexities here in the U.S. since the eclipse cycle began a few weeks ago. I'm toast in the wake of it all. Fall down once, get up twice. But maybe take a nap before getting up the second time, yes? I say yes. Sheesh.

21 comments:

Jo said...

Thank God for sensitive introverts like yourself...we have far too many insensitive extroverts right now!

SO glad to know you're listening to your body, resting and taking care of that all-important skeletal support. Enjoy every moment of your delightful day, my friend.

jeanette from everton terrace said...

Yes, it's important to recharge your batteries before you try to get up again. My daughter, while very intelligent (2nd year law school student) does not do well when bombarded with information. She needs thing to come at her slowly, to digest them before she can respond. Happy recharging day Reya.
I've got to stop reading about Australia, my heart is breaking for the people and worried for the animals, oh didn't mean to put another worry on your plate.

Reya Mellicker said...

I've been thinking about Brisbane, too.

ellen abbott said...

Oh good for you. sounds like a perfect day. As fast as info gets thrown at us in this day and age it's a wonder any of us can absorb it.

Reya Mellicker said...

Good point, Ellen!

Whitney Lee said...

That sounds perfect. I hope it does the trick.

My sister is not an introvert but has the same welcoming spirit. She welcomes and gives of herself until her body simply shuts down, forcing her to stop. I think that learning the value of 'NO' at a young age is crucial to mental, physical, and emotional health.

Susan Carpenter Sims said...

I TOTALLY relate to this. When I first took the Myers-Briggs and scored as an introvert I was a teenager and was really surprised by that result. It's weird to be an extroverted introvert. I like the description of that as "welcoming."

I was just having a conversation about this yesterday. How when I've had too much social stimulation I just shut down, and if I can't get into my bedroom and shut the door on the world when that starts to happen, it's a very bad thing indeed.

Karen said...

A nap sounds good. :)

I find myself needing increasing amounts of quiet or down time as I get older (or maybe it's busier). There's only so much my poor human system can process! I can definitely relate...

I also find myself being wary of listening to the news, especially on tv. So much of it seems designed to push my emotional buttons (in order to get ratings?), and after a bit of that I feel overwhelmed, anxious, like things are bad & getting worse, even when they're not.

It's good to know your limits, and good to respect them. Enjoy your nap! :)

Reya Mellicker said...

Boundaries are always a good thing! As the weather always explains everything, I was astonished to see a line drawn across the sky yesterday, truly conveying the idea that enough is enough!!

Lynne said...

Sounds like you're off to a rough start this year. Taking on so much isn't good for you! Try to turn off all the outside voices vying for your attention!

So, what's for dinner and what is the movie?

Pics and a new blog post are up now re: Ms Emmy.

Have a good rest, Reya!

mouse (aka kimy) said...

more should follow your lead and stop!!!

(now doesn't that sound like a delightful oxymoron!)

steven said...

reya, i am grateful for your sensitivity! i appreciate that you tell the stories of your story. i know that that sort of openness goes both ways. so maybe you know what i mean when i say that sometimes, everything just floods into me and it seems i have no way of managing the parts of the sum and especially not the sum of the parts ... they point the wrong way for me. i go quiet then. people worry - "it's so out of character" - but it's a breathing in, a caring for myself. steven

Reya Mellicker said...

Steven, yes I get it. I think of you as a much better "surfer" of the energies, though.

Reya Mellicker said...

Kim you made me laugh.

Tom said...

it's winter...best to hibernate here and there

tattytiara said...

We all suffer from chronic divided-focus-itis these days, it seems, and stepping back to just live our own lives and let the world do it's thing occasionally is always good therapy indeed.

Vicki said...

So glad you took a day for yourself! I also go and go and go like an energizer bunny, then I am forced to stop and recharge! Thanks for you wonderful posts...

Reya Mellicker said...

Vicki you can literally run circles around me any day. I would fallen flat on my face trying to produce all that fried chicken. You are mighty!

Cheryl Cato said...

It's evening now & I hope you have had that wonderfully relaxed day. I think tomorrow will be my day. I should exercise and then relax with a good book or a movie.
Today was house cleaning day & it looks so good now! We had a good homemade soup from the turkey leavings... just the thing on a cold winter night! All that kept me occupied & a bit away from the unfortunate happenings here & around the world. It was a good day.

Anonymous said...

Now if you tried to painted that sky in a water-colour wash and that strange defining horizontal streak happened, you'd think you'd spoilt it. Not the Big Guy. My sky. My way.Imperfections? Deal.
I have all the time in the world for sensitive introverts by the way.

Anonymous said...

...mmm that first sentence is imperfect too.