Collective Angst and Airplane Gremlins

So I had something else in mind for today, but honestly, I'm exhausted. A late night storming session yesterday with a writer friend to get her book going, my wife's open house tonight that brought me and the little guy out to her school with dinner (and that means entertaining him by chasing him around on the grass for hours), the Novel Crit group started yesterday, I'm helping my wife photograph a wedding on Saturday, my sister's wedding is in less than two weeks out in Colorado and I am performing the ceremony (have NOT practiced), the house is in no way ready for the rains and the cold, a friend is coming to stay the night, the dog kennel needs to be finished or a separate dog house built for the third dog, the garage is decades from completion, money is tight, queries to write, stories to finish, the blog, the house, don't get me started on the house –

And that's what today's post is about. You're not alone. It seems like everyone is going through all kinds of stress right now. Another writer I know just got back from a relaxing two week vacation only to find that her daughter is going in for surgery and another relative had a stroke. She's missing her favorite annual event. And to top it all off, she's got the flu so she can't visit any of her loved ones.

It's everyone right now. You. Me. Everyone.

Forget the Collective Unconscious, this is like Collective Angst.

I mean, what the hell? Is there like some evil gremlin out on the wing of flight 607 nonstop to Happyland and we're all on it or what? (Wanna see something creepy? I picked 607 off the top of my head, wrote that sentence about Happyland and thought, “I wonder if I'm using a flight number from a recent crash and that's why it's stuck in my head. That would be wrong.” So I googled it. No way I could have known ahead of time what I ended up finding. No known cause. Just creepy. Really creepy.)

Really, that's it. No long winded post today. Not because I don't think you deserve the best I can give you, but because I think that everyone is running a mile a minute right now and we all just need to slow down, collect ourselves, take in a deep breathe, and relax. Maybe think back to better times, when life was slower. For me, that's the beginning of the 80's when I was two and you can't possibly have fewer cares.

And you know what always makes me feel a little better when I'm stressed . . . THE MUPPETS!


Just something about it. My folks used to record episodes on a cassette deck so that we could listen to them way back before there were VCR's. Or maybe there were VCR's and we just couldn't afford one. Remember those? Back before they had clear plastic for cassettes? I can still hear that Muppets Star Wars episode they did.

So remember, when life tortures you with gargling Gershwins be ready with a good song and dance number. “You are my lucky star. I saw you from afar.”

6 comments:

Amber J. Gardner said...

Okay, how do I say this without being creepy.

Collective Angst is definitely the right word for this. You have no idea how much I needed this today. And man, that was such a great clip. I laughed so much I got teary (I loved that show, back in the day when T.V was so freaking awesome). And on a day I had so much trouble that I was teary for a whole another reason. I literally checked your blog moments after I handled the crisis (more or less) and could really use a laugh.

Thanks so much for this. Whoever doesn't believe in Serendipity or the Collective Unconscious or whatever you want to call it, this is proof it does exist.

(Also that flight 607 thing is creepy as well. We're unconsciously linked to all the information out there, I'm telling ya!)

Unknown said...

Okay, so the jigs up. You found me out. I'm actually stalking you. :) Kidding.

I'm sorry that things are so screwy right now. To add to this list, I've got another friend that mentioned to me today, after not talking to her in ages, that she's going through the lowest point in her life right now. When I got my hair cut today, our hair dresser told us that she lost her mother to cancer. It's almost like something really bad is coming and we can all sense it or something. I don't know.

And on a lighter note. Are you even old enough to remember the Muppet Show? :)

Amber J. Gardner said...

Of course I remember! They used to give reruns on...on....a channel. Damn, what channel was it? (Disney? Nickelodeon? WB? *googles* It was Nick! Man I can't believe they've changed so much). But yes! I remember the Muppet Show. I also used to watch the Muppet Movies and the Muppet Babies (one of my favorite shows growing up. Gonzo was my favorite <3).

Wow it just occurred to me how old the Muppet Show is. I forgot that Star Wars first came out in the 80s...btw, another great movie. What happened to us? Why can't we produce great stories like we used to anymore?

Stupid special effects, mindless comedy, and extreme violence/sex taking priority nowadays...

Unknown said...

Bet you can't guess which character was my favorite growing up? :)

Anyway, thanks again for being there, David. Hopefully, things will slow down once things aren't so new, and it becomes nothing more than good writing habits enforced.

Hooray for imaginary deadlines!

Unknown said...

Gonzo.

And there's nothing imaginary about these deadlines, so get to work!

Unknown said...

Working on it.

And, I love Gonzo ... but my favorite character has always been Beaker. And look ... Beaker doing Carmen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDFgtFXfnv0

And here's Ode to Joy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpcUxwpOQ_A

Yay Muppets!

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