Under Pressure

Before I undertook this A-Z Challenge, I battled with myself over whether or not I wanted to join it. Having to commit to a writing challenge for which I was expected to produce something EVERY DAY was not something that fit well with my lifestyle. My grandchildren interrupted every word I wrote with things like, "Grandma, it's freezing out here with no coat on. Please let us back into the house!"

OK, I'm kidding – about letting them back into the house – not about them interrupting me while I tried to complete a sentence.

But seriously I felt as if I had suddenly become a tea kettle and somebody had poured a very tiny amount of water inside of me. With the burner turned to high, and within a very short period of time I was, in two words, under pressure!

Factor in that I'm tired – a lot – add all of my physical problems (bad back, asthma, cancer, migraines), consider the hours I care for my grandchildren – from early morning to late night – every day from Monday through Friday, and I had to ask myself, "Should I commit?"

I definitely felt under pressure, unbearably so! I bit the skin around my fingernails (never the nails themselves – ewww), got migraines, paced back and forth (in my head), and finally decided that for some insane reason, I had to pour out even more water from the kettle. As my insides boiled and spurt forth from inside me, I took that as a genuine sign from God to commit myself – to a hospital. I mean, to the A-Z Challenge.

Reminiscent of my high school years when my shorthand teacher, on Fridays, would give the class homework for the following week – one assignment due for each day of the week – I rushed home to complete all of the assignments that Friday night. So, yes, under pressure of not being able to complete my blog assignments, I took it upon myself to complete all of my blogs at once, too.

So here I was just days prior to April, stressing out, when I decided that I had to come up with ideas for all of them RIGHT NOW or I couldn't commit! I wrote down several ideas (about 20 of the 26), signed up, and over the next few days, completed all of the blogs except one.

The ONLY one that stumped me, the only one that caused extreme pressure was this one, the letter U. Unique? Unorthodox? Unusual? What should I write about? SO MUCH PRESSURE!

And then the light bulb in my head went off. At first it flickered, and then as I heard the tea kettle whistle, it came to me – Under Pressure.

And that completes Day #21 from the A-Z Challenge. Brought to you by the letter, U. 


Previous A-Z Challenge blogs:

Amazon Hates Me – Day #1 from the A-Z Challenge

Bored – Why? – Day #2 from the A-Z Challenge

Craziness – Day #3 from the A-Z Challenge

When Your Daughter Develops, DON'T DO THIS! – Day #4 from the A-Z Challenge

Ellen – Day #5 from the A-Z Challenge

Family and Friends – Day #6 from the A-Z Challenge

The Grownup Table – Day #7 from the A-Z Challenge

Happiness & Joy – Day #8 from the A-Z Challenge

Idiots in the Attic – Day #9 from the A-Z Challenge

Jokes Accidentally – Day #10 from the A-Z Challenge

The Kid That Wasn't Named Ker – Day #11 from the A-Z Challenge

Living Out of Suitcases – Day #12 from the A-Z Challenge

Misunderstandings – I KNOW You Didn't Say What I THINK You Said

Networked Blogs on Facebook


The Old and The Elderly – At What Age Do You FEEL Old?


Peacocks Are Not Penguins

Quiz That Changed My Thinking

Reading Les Miserable
  
Sense and Nonsense

The Traumatization of a Third Grader

 

June was QUITE a month! PHEW!

If you read my article, Children in Distress – Depressed and Anxious, and you paid attention to the last two children I wrote about, you will discover what MOST of my June encompassed. NEVER have I encountered anything like it, and I hope NEVER to encounter it again. Their erratic moods and behaviors threatened to permanently destroy the peace that usually permeates my home, and their behavior was affecting the behavior of the other children in my care whose parents were NOT happy when their children exhibited the new (and unwanted) behaviors.

So while I'm happy they are gone, I can't help but wonder what will become of them. I sincerely LOVE children, but these two needed more help than I could offer them and I certainly hope the State follows through with getting them the help they DESPERATELY need. So so sad for those kids.

I'm sure my intensity about the situation shows. As a result of that intensity and the awful stress I was under I felt I needed something lighter and so, to lighten my mood considerably, I wrote July 21 – National Crazy Day. Please read it and comment. It probably makes me sound like I have numerous personalities (do I?) because while I have written on the "lighter side" I normally write about important warnings and heart wrenching issues. I do hope you enjoy this new side of me, normally reserved for close personal friends, and family. Um, you may decide I should keep it for only those people. If so, let me know.

The photo, by the way, was taken back in February (I believe) of 2008 when sweet Scarlett Johansson visited the troops in Iraq. My son is pictured to HER left.