My Third Post-->Worry: Part Un

Some people have the genius gene--they were born to be excellent at learning. Some have the music gene, born to create beautiful music. Some have a creativity gene, born to be excellent artists.

I have the anxiety gene. Yes, I was born to fret. Wired to worry. Destined to be in a dither. Oh yes, anxiety is a companion of mine. We have met and we are one.

Worry provides me with my own radar system, always on the lookout for danger no matter how remote, how unlikely, how ridiculous, how far fetched, or how improbable, and then blowing it up into a symphony of disasters, a cacophony of catastrophes.

Yes, I'm very good at this. I've seen movies, you know. I watch tv! I know what can happen in the real world!

Like this-->

1. I call my daughter on her cell phone, she living in a big city and on her own. No answer. I call again. No answer. I call again. No answer. I call again. No answer. I call again. No answer. It's been five whole minutes since I first tried and there's still no answer. What has happened?

a. She's at the movies and put her phone on silence.
b. She's at a museum and put her phone on silence.
c. She's taking a well-deserved nap and put her phone on silence.
d. She's been kidnapped by terrorists.

You get the picture.

And how about this--

2. My son is driving the two-hour trip back to his home on a Sunday evening after a weekend visit. It has now been two hours and fifteen minutes, and he still hasn't called to say he made it back safe and sound. What has happened?

a. He stopped for a bite to eat on the way back.
b. He stopped at his cousin's house on the way back.
c. He forgot to call when he got back.
d. He was in a car accident and all his identification was destroyed and he's lying in a hospital bed with amnesia, and even though he doesn't remember who he is, he is desperately crying out for his mom.

You see my point? There's a lot to worry about out there!

Ok, my mind doesn't immediately go to choice "d", but the "d's" cross the finish line just a hair behind my first rational thoughts and they are at the ready to strike and exact their carnage on my psyche.

Interestingly enough, though, it has occurred to me that this process does not always occur.

For instance we all know the warnings about eating raw eggs. Well, except for Rocky Balboa and his morning eggshake, the rest of us know it's not a good idea. Ingesting raw eggs could cause all sorts of pain and illness from food poisoning. That's a real danger, my dear.

However that particular danger doesn't even come anywhere near my brain when I'm making chocolate chip cookies.

Ahhhhh. Cookie dough.......Yum! Stick that spoon in there and shove a big glug full of raw egg right into my mouth!

Now why is it that the real danger of food poisoning is so far removed from my thoughts that it's not even in the race?

Maybe it's because I have first hand knowledge of eating cookie dough, oh about a hundred thousand times, and I've never gotten sick (well, maybe from eating too much cookie dough but never from salmonella).

Maybe it's because the immediate reward of having a cookie dough party in my mouth is just so reinforcing that all thoughts of what might come later are washed away in the pure joy of it all.

3. So my multiple choice prognostications for eating a big spoon of cookie dough full of salmonella-laced raw egg?

a. I will roll my eyes in pure enjoyment and want more.
b. I will roll my eyes in pure enjoyment and want more.
c. I will roll my eyes in pure enjoyment and want more.
d. I will eat more.

Mmmmmm. And besides, nobody ever died on CSI Miami from eating cookie dough.
Judge, I rest my case.

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On a more serious note though--

I'm thinking that my worrying is usually associated with what might happen not to me, but to someone else.....someone that I love so much.....that I cannot bear even the thought that something bad might happen to them.

I can take on the risks, but not them. No, not them. Please Lord, not them.

And that leads me to "Worry, Part Deux," coming next.

By the way, the correct answers, as I found out later:
1. "a"
2. "c"
3. "all of the above"

I am so very thankful that:

• My daughter was always safe and sound in that big city, and she was very understanding with me when she had twelve missed calls from me on her cell phone during that movie.

• My son is an excellent driver, and he almost always calls when he gets back because he doesn't want his mom to worry.

• I have learned to "reach up as far as I can and God reaches down the rest of the way." He does listen. He does comfort. Oh I most certainly have been blessed.