Worry Warts

I have several friends who are worriers. Pam worries about everything (and always has), but she is obsessed about the weather. She checks the weather every day. When we travel together, she gives me daily weather updates. Last week, she couldn't sleep for worrying about the threat of rain on Anna's wedding day. That's not something I ever worry about. I wake up in the morning and if it looks like rain, I figure I'll take my umbrella. By the way, the weather was gorgeous all day the day of the wedding---contrary to the weathermen's reports. I don't know how anyone could worry about our weather---our weathermen are ALWAYS wrong.

Connie is a worrier too. She says she also worries about everything. She says it's getting so bad, she might need medication. I'll drive her to the doctor!

Considering I was never a worrier, I must admit, the older I get, the more I worry. I worry about the grandkids far more than I ever worried about my own kids. I don't like it. I agree with Connie, I think it's getting worse. The only good thing for me is that I have a long way to go to catch up with my friends---since I started so late to the worry game. Whenever I start to worry, it makes matters worse that I think by worrying or even thinking about something will jinx me and it will actually happen. I try to brush the thoughts away.

A perfect example:
On Sunday night, at 10:10 p.m., the phone rang. It was Mindy, except she wouldn't answer. I could hear her tv in the background. I couldn't get her to respond. I hung up and called her back---it went to voicemail. I started imagining her laying on the floor in her apartment having been attacked by some crazy and trying to get help. This is a completely idiotic scenario as NO BAD GUY would trek the 5 steep flights of stairs to get to the top floor of her building. I'm sure he'd go for easier prey on a lower floor. Still, as I was trying to decide if I should get in the car and head to her place, the phone rang again. It was her, but still no response. I could still hear the tv. I hung up once again and redialed. This time, she answered, all sleepy and ANNOYED at ME!!!! She was sleeping and apparently "butt dialed" me. (Butt dialing is when you roll on your phone and speed dial is activated). Anyway, she was totally fine and I worried needlessly. But it's sort of like the boy who cried wolf. How many times can this happen before I will always think it's a false alarm. Then how will I ever know when she is in trouble!!

I'll say it again, I don't like it. I feel really bad for my friends that live this way all the time. At least for me, it's not a constant state.

I looked it up. The definition for worry is:
"give way to anxiety or unease;."

I saw a quote on one of the blogs I follow that really said it best:
"Worry is using your imagination in a negative way."

 I try really hard not to be negative, so I'll keep working on this. Now that's what I'm talkin' about.

PS Our friend, David Bohan said it best on our Alaskan cruise. He said that if I received a box of s**t for Christmas, I'd say, "There must be a pony around here somewhere!"

Yep, that's how I like to live---in my happy little optimistic, worry-free world.