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| The Scream ~ Edvard Munch |
(...with enormous gratitude to artist Edvard Munch for perfectly capturing that pit-of-your-stomach quicksand feeling of gut-wrenching anxiety.)
Of course, the song "Good Morning Heartache" will forever be attached to the brilliant Miss Billie Holiday who knew, all too well, what heartache meant. Anxiety too, for sure.
So, replace 'heartache' with 'anxiety' and there you have it. Not quite as poetic-romantic as heartache, but given the current state of the universe, infinitely more applicable.
The hilarious Mel Brooks did a movie called 'High Anxiety' which is exactly what I lived with for as long as I can remember. Because living with certifiably crazy people in a constantly volatile atmosphere can do that to a young person.
And 'growing up,' but still embroiled in crazy family dynamics not only exacerbates the problem, but also allows it to continue. It took a ruptured colon and emergency surgery to finally wake me up to the toxic effects of certain family members and their negative contributions to my life.
And when my mother (Miss Eternal High Anxiety Queen of the Universe) passed on, I was left with two choices: either cut the demonic cord and strike out on my own, or continue to allow miserable people to dominate my life. Take a guess what I did. If you guessed the former, bingo!
Didn't totally eliminate the anxiety, but certainly decreased it to a more manageable level. I mean, seriously, who needs energy vampires in one's life?
So.....
"Good morning anxiety, you old gloomy sight.
Good morning anxiety, thought we said goodbye last night.
I turned and tossed 'til it seemed that you had gone.
But here you are with the dawn.
Wish I'd forget you but you're here to stay.
It seems I met you when my [life] went away.
Now every day I start by saying to you
Good morning anxiety, what's new...?"
And to all les miserabs who were left behind?
The pit of my stomach thanks you, my colon thanks you, my cat thanks you, and I thank you!
So, replace 'heartache' with 'anxiety' and there you have it. Not quite as poetic-romantic as heartache, but given the current state of the universe, infinitely more applicable.
The hilarious Mel Brooks did a movie called 'High Anxiety' which is exactly what I lived with for as long as I can remember. Because living with certifiably crazy people in a constantly volatile atmosphere can do that to a young person.
And 'growing up,' but still embroiled in crazy family dynamics not only exacerbates the problem, but also allows it to continue. It took a ruptured colon and emergency surgery to finally wake me up to the toxic effects of certain family members and their negative contributions to my life.
And when my mother (Miss Eternal High Anxiety Queen of the Universe) passed on, I was left with two choices: either cut the demonic cord and strike out on my own, or continue to allow miserable people to dominate my life. Take a guess what I did. If you guessed the former, bingo!
Didn't totally eliminate the anxiety, but certainly decreased it to a more manageable level. I mean, seriously, who needs energy vampires in one's life?
So.....
"Good morning anxiety, you old gloomy sight.
Good morning anxiety, thought we said goodbye last night.
I turned and tossed 'til it seemed that you had gone.
But here you are with the dawn.
Wish I'd forget you but you're here to stay.
It seems I met you when my [life] went away.
Now every day I start by saying to you
Good morning anxiety, what's new...?"
And to all les miserabs who were left behind?
The pit of my stomach thanks you, my colon thanks you, my cat thanks you, and I thank you!
