My Brethren and Sisterren

Project:  To make plans for; to forecast.
Projection: A forecast or prognosis obtained by extrapolation.
Extrapolation:  An inference about some hypothetical situation based on known facts.

I'd like to write something today but I don't have anything to say.  I certainly don't have anything new to say.  So I'm amusing myself by looking up words.

I think about myself more than anyone else in the world.  Except for The Big Tangerine - I'm not even in the same class as that joker.  This tendency is one thing but another altogether is that I don't seem to be doing anything to change that.  One of my mildly amusing jokes is to remind my brethren and sisterren in recovery that if they want to have a good day then they should go off somewhere and think about themselves.  Perhaps I should start taking my own insightful advice.  Not only do I dedicate all of this time thinking about myself I would like you to dedicate a big part of your day to thinking about me as well.  There are only 24 hours in each day and I've got to sleep sometime.  Do your part - think about me.

I have too much time on my hands.

I am going to be taking a series of classes to learn how to be a hospice volunteer when I return from The UK.  I like to think I'm steady and empathetic.  Then again I may look at someone dying from cancer and say: "You think you've got it bad?  You should try living in my head for a day."

I've made an inquiry about becoming a reading tutor.  I can't imagine living a life where I couldn't read.  Unimaginable.

"When you worry, your body responds to your anxiety the same way it would react to physical danger.

To help you cope with the physical demands you are about to ask your body to perform, your brain releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream.  They trigger a range of physical reactions that will equip your body for action.

Your heart rate increases, your breathing becomes heavier and you may sweat more.  You may also become pale as the blood moves away from the skin towards the muscles to help them prepare for the 'fight or flight' situation your worry has created.

The 'fight or flight' response is your body's instinctive reaction to danger.  Unconsciously your body prepares itself to either run away from danger or becomes very alert in order to fight predators.

But many of the things we worry about today cannot be dealt with by fighting or running away. Credit card bills, bad relationships, or stress at work cannot be dealt with physically, so our body remains in a state of anxiety, ready for action.

This means the stress hormones are still circulating in the blood stream.  Over a prolonged period of time, raised levels of these chemicals can start to have a toxic effect on the glands, nervous system and the heart, eventually leading to heart attacks, increased risk of stroke and stomach ulcers.

Because your body has tensed ready to respond to the threat you are feeling, this muscle tension can turn into aches and pains causing headaches, back pain, weak legs and trembling.  This tension can also affect your digestive system triggering bouts of constipation or diarrhea.

You may also become more prone to infections. It is widely accepted that stress and anxiety can lower your immune system, making you more susceptible to picking up colds or more serious illnesses."