Fight or Flight
Since I'm on the subject of fears, and by the way, as I re-read my previous post, thoughts ran through my head about how selfish could I be? Of course I have sympathy for the families' of the folks that show up in those dreaded headlines. I didn't mean to imply that all is well if I don't know them personally. Perhaps none of you actually thought I meant that, and perhaps I didn't even imply that, and I had that worry for absolutely no reason. That is usually the case, I have found.
Gotta love me. :)
Anyway, back to my new post...
One of my 'worst fears' is, picture this: you are walking speedily to the parking deck and hit the up button on the elevator b/c your car is parked on the sixth floor and you just don't feel like pretending you are in shape to heave up the stairs. you are fidgeting as you impatiently stand there waiting and the elevator seems to be taking forever, you think to yourself, "I should just go now. Look, right over there, there's a public bathroom. No, no no. I can wait. I want to get home. But I have to peeee! No, I'll wait." And you debate this with yourself until finally, the elevator dings and the doors open, seemingly making your decision for you. A nice looking fellow that had since walked up to join the waiting squad allows you and another lady in waiting to board before him and then he walks in after. So far, for the first three seconds, everything is normal. The pleasant smiles were exchanged. Each person stands against a different wall, giving the appropriate distance. Normal elevator/stranger etiquette. All of a sudden, there is a loud thud, the car shakes, the power flickers, and all motion stops. YOU ARE STUCK on an elevator, with a full-feeling/filling bladder and a Michael Weatherly look-alike, cursing yourself for not taking the stupid quick pee break before ending up in this predicament.
What do you do?
Yeah. Seriously.
Talk about crazy fears. I guess it stems from: I actually used to be terrified of elevators when I was younger. And to be perfectly honest, I don't get a great big happy-thrilling feeling now when riding them by myself. I have been stuck in one alone, in the crappy dorm I lived in my freshman year of college. Luckily, it was a frequent occurrence and the elevator-fixer-people were on speed dial with the dorm's RC. I remember the doors would open about two inches, so you could pull them apart and see a little bit of the other side. I did this and called for help, and a few of my fellow crappy-dorm-dwellers heard my cries and enlisted my rescuers. I was out in no time and even made it to class on time, however, as soon as those steel double doors opened, I bolted out and immediately to the stairs. I took them, I think, for a day or two after that. But soon got tired of it, since I lived on the fifth floor.
I have had fantasies of being trapped in elevators with people. And not the dirty kind, but you know, how they always use this ploy in movies or tv and something profound always happens. People always bond when they are trapped in the confined space. I think a lot of conflicts could be solved if you just got stuck in an elevator with the right person. I mean, what other choices would you have? If the fire department was fighting a fire, or the elevator-fixer people couldn't be at the immediate beck and call, would you just sit there and argue or cry? I guess some people would. Maybe you wouldn't even get in the elevator once you saw that person. But what if you were in a hurry and didn't notice? Would you make a big production/deal out of the situation for drama's sake? I'd have to say I have had my share of immature/dramatic moments. Some of them happened so fast, I wasn't even thinking. I purely acted out of instinct: fight or flight! I have developed a "flight syndrome" to things I don't want to face.
Not something I am proud of, but I do realize the truth. Perhaps acknowledging it here will help me to face a part of myself that I'm not too fond of. The syndrome stems from hurt and anger. Wah wah wah. People deal w/ their crap differently. Their 'crazy.'
Well, I have until Monday to churn out an analytical paper on the narrative voice. The different types, blab on and some examples. Make up a lesson plan about it. It always takes me a while to get into the mode. I want to flee from it! But like usual, I suck it up, put on my rally cap, and do what I have to do. Sometimes I absolutely despise being responsible.
Gotta love me. :)
Anyway, back to my new post...
One of my 'worst fears' is, picture this: you are walking speedily to the parking deck and hit the up button on the elevator b/c your car is parked on the sixth floor and you just don't feel like pretending you are in shape to heave up the stairs. you are fidgeting as you impatiently stand there waiting and the elevator seems to be taking forever, you think to yourself, "I should just go now. Look, right over there, there's a public bathroom. No, no no. I can wait. I want to get home. But I have to peeee! No, I'll wait." And you debate this with yourself until finally, the elevator dings and the doors open, seemingly making your decision for you. A nice looking fellow that had since walked up to join the waiting squad allows you and another lady in waiting to board before him and then he walks in after. So far, for the first three seconds, everything is normal. The pleasant smiles were exchanged. Each person stands against a different wall, giving the appropriate distance. Normal elevator/stranger etiquette. All of a sudden, there is a loud thud, the car shakes, the power flickers, and all motion stops. YOU ARE STUCK on an elevator, with a full-feeling/filling bladder and a Michael Weatherly look-alike, cursing yourself for not taking the stupid quick pee break before ending up in this predicament.
What do you do?
Yeah. Seriously.
Talk about crazy fears. I guess it stems from: I actually used to be terrified of elevators when I was younger. And to be perfectly honest, I don't get a great big happy-thrilling feeling now when riding them by myself. I have been stuck in one alone, in the crappy dorm I lived in my freshman year of college. Luckily, it was a frequent occurrence and the elevator-fixer-people were on speed dial with the dorm's RC. I remember the doors would open about two inches, so you could pull them apart and see a little bit of the other side. I did this and called for help, and a few of my fellow crappy-dorm-dwellers heard my cries and enlisted my rescuers. I was out in no time and even made it to class on time, however, as soon as those steel double doors opened, I bolted out and immediately to the stairs. I took them, I think, for a day or two after that. But soon got tired of it, since I lived on the fifth floor.
I have had fantasies of being trapped in elevators with people. And not the dirty kind, but you know, how they always use this ploy in movies or tv and something profound always happens. People always bond when they are trapped in the confined space. I think a lot of conflicts could be solved if you just got stuck in an elevator with the right person. I mean, what other choices would you have? If the fire department was fighting a fire, or the elevator-fixer people couldn't be at the immediate beck and call, would you just sit there and argue or cry? I guess some people would. Maybe you wouldn't even get in the elevator once you saw that person. But what if you were in a hurry and didn't notice? Would you make a big production/deal out of the situation for drama's sake? I'd have to say I have had my share of immature/dramatic moments. Some of them happened so fast, I wasn't even thinking. I purely acted out of instinct: fight or flight! I have developed a "flight syndrome" to things I don't want to face.
Not something I am proud of, but I do realize the truth. Perhaps acknowledging it here will help me to face a part of myself that I'm not too fond of. The syndrome stems from hurt and anger. Wah wah wah. People deal w/ their crap differently. Their 'crazy.'
Well, I have until Monday to churn out an analytical paper on the narrative voice. The different types, blab on and some examples. Make up a lesson plan about it. It always takes me a while to get into the mode. I want to flee from it! But like usual, I suck it up, put on my rally cap, and do what I have to do. Sometimes I absolutely despise being responsible.
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