Thursday, October 4, 2012

Forgive me for not having written in a hundred million years, but well, I'm back. Am having a fake sick day and since my friend Carolyn recently said that she thought some of the weird things I do might be of interest (notice her strategic use of the word "might") to others, I'm writing about this. So I am here doing everything that one does when one is sick. I am drinking lots of fluids, laying in bed, putting a hot water bottle on my stomach (why does that feel so good?) reading (alternating between "Wherever You Go There You Are by Kabat Zinn and the Doomsday Book by Connie Willis), and lazing my way through a stack of DVD's from the library (most of which I've never heard of but they looked curiously like ones I would love and my teenage daughters and husband would hate- Like Wallis and Edward: the Love affair that changed history). Why (other than the obvious reason that it is so damn fun) would anyone take a fake sick day? First, I would like to note the historic precedent for such seemingly odd behavior. Women through out the ages have taken days out from the ordinary to replenish the spirit. I'm thinking of the Red Tent here in particular, but one does not have to be "flowing" so to speak to need a respite. "Taking to one's bed" seemed a popular escape for women of Jane Austen's time and I'm sure it was called by many others names in other eras (if anyone knows some of these please enlighten us). We of the digital list era seem to have forgotten this, or maybe we just need a little nudge. Nudge. Nudge. Secondly, it is astounding how good it feels to do all these things when one is NOT sick. Really being sick is only good because it forces us to stop and relax, but how fun is relaxing when one feels crappy? How much better to have a whole glorious day stretched out in front of you when you feel increasingly amazing (rehydration alone works wonders). And if that isn't enough reason alone, I have noticed since I've been taking these (about ten years) I am actually sick so very rarely. It's as if this prevents the body from going over the edge. It is true that you might meet some resistance from family and friends, but when they see how much nicer/happier/healthier you are I'm sure they'll come on board. My husband now calls this "taking to my couch" and my friend Kami actually brought me a sick care package one day with chicken noodle soup and chocolate bars. What if we did this for each other often?? Encouraged our loved ones to just stop- and relax and recuperate even before the body sent up flares? Wow. You may note the irony that in fact I am doing some writing on my sick day (work is strictly prohibited!) but I just had to take a few minutes out to say how good it feels. If you try it let me know!

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