Sunday, June 22, 2008

odds and ends

Allie got me a book for my birthday called The How of Happiness. It had some good information in there about ruminating and overthinking. These are two things that I do often and they tend to make me unhappy. This book had some good suggestions about how to stop doing this. I got so into the whole concept that I tracked down a book by the leading scholar on the issue and bought it, despite the title.

Work is a real challenge for me in this area. Seems there's always something for my mind to chew on, usually a resentment against somebody who's working against us in some way or another. Lately I've had intense resentments against the local paper. It's absolutely astonishing how biased they are. I mean, I always knew it. As a reporter at the Pitch their particular slant annoyed me to no end. But now that I'm working for a concern that is on the unfavorable end of their bias, it really boils my blood sometimes.

So, yeah. Overthinking. I often think that the reason why I'm in this job is to overcome my hangups.

Haven't been able to run for most of the last week because I came down with a cold. I finally emerged from it today, and set out to spend the whole day in the yard. Got a lot done until I was yanking on a vine and I felt a sudden sharp stab in my back. The pain was so intense that I couldn't really move, so I sort of crumpled down on the ground, rolled into a sort of crawl position and then after a while managed to find an angle for my back to where I could stand up. I can move around a bit more now but it's still pretty bad. Not sure what to do. I've been seeing a sports chiropractor, so I might go see him. I don't have any doctor that I like or trust. Besides the pain it sucks because I really wanted to knock off a long list of yard stuff. Oh well. I guess I have reached the stage in manhood when my back bill is due. It happens to most of us, don't it?

This week I'm going to join a running group. It costs more than I thought it would, but I think it'll be worth it.

2 comments:

MAWG said...

Joe - Google "Alexander Technique" as an antidote to your "back bill coming do". AT isn't quackery and I'm guessing that what you're dealing with has more to do with improper use than turning 40. I'm serious - check it out.

Pete said...

I am going to add a second opinion - which is: check out Sarno. It's a book I got from your grandmother and considering the stress your obviously feeling based on the first part of the blog I think it would be helpful. It has certainly helped me. Haven't been to the chiropractor since Christmas when I read and believed the book.