Take It Easy

For those of you from my generation, the lyrics "Well I'm running down the road tryin' to loosen my load ..[ ]" should be familiar. Now that you are singing along to one of the Eagles' greatest hits, the next line is :  I've got seven [men] on my mind ..." The song is 'Take It Easy'. Hearing those lyrics always take me back to one particular night my senior year in high school. Wait, or were they playing 'Hotel California'? I digress.

When I am viewed as upset, agitated, distressed, rattled, and/or antsy, the usual responses from friends, family, and therapists are "chill out", "cool down", "relax","get a hold of yourself". Easy for them to say. If it were that simple I think I could have handled it myself. I'm not out of control, I'm just pissed. 

And I have a right to be pissed. As an unhinged great aunt of mine once said, "I am due a nervous breakdown. I deserve a nervous breakdown. I'm going to have a nervous breakdown. And no one is going to deny me one." So there. 

Now what?

I asked my doctor just what a "Nervous Breakdown"was. He responded that it was a broad term used for many conditions, but the basic symptoms usually included:

-Severe stress related depression 

-Loss of interest in social and family life

-Weight loss (or gain)

-Feeling sick to the stomach

Humh, check, check, check, and check. Well the good news is that this proves that, contrary to what some folks think, I am not a petulant child, fretful middle age woman, peevish loner, whiny b*+ch, querulous victim, nor out-of sorts invalid. I am simply someone having a bad day. OK, I am someone going through a low time, rough patch, or the blues aka depression.

One thing I have learned that has helped me crawl out (albeit slowly) of my black hole is to take it easy. Going back to my teen years, when the world was my oyster, life was grand, and the biggest crisis imaginable was not getting a second date with that great guy, I pulled the words from the Eagles' song.

"Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. Lighten up while you still can. Don't even try to understand. Just find a place to make your stand ... [ ]  We may lose and we may win though we will never be here again ... [ ]"

So now I have bared my soul, identified my condition, and found a memory from my past that provides some direction. I simply need to take it easy and follow my mantra; live for the moment one day at the time.

Oh, and you are welcome for the song that you will hum all day. Hopefully it will take you back several decades and bring to light some memorable moments you haven't visited in a while.