Monday, October 15, 2012

Dreary Monday

Monday and it is raining very strongly today. It hasn't rained here for over three months until last Thursday now it is predicted to rain every day until Wednesday. I kind of like the rain and it is really needed. However, it is a little dreary outside. A good day to work inside or just get a book to read. I am choosing work today. It just feels good to get things done.

They don't predict any lightening anytime soon. So to feel the void I am starting today's post with an article about lightening:

http://weather.aol.com/2012/10/09/why-are-lightning-deaths-declining/#page=1?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-nb%7Cdl24%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D217714

One of the reasons I chose to work today instead of read or play is when I get my work tasks done it lowers my stress level. Are you allergic to stress?

http://news.yahoo.com/depression-may-caused-allergy-stress-141531249.html

I always appreciate people that break barriers:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/12/col-jeannie-flynn-leavitt-first-female-fighter-pilot-martha-raddatz_n_1962152.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-nb%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D219843

Comment Away.

2 comments:

Lady DR said...

Yes, gloomy weather can be an incentive for buckling down and doing something productive, at least for me.

Lightening... I think there are various reasons why we're seeing fewer lightening strikes. Yes, people are better educated about getting inside, getting off the golf course and such. However, I also think there's the fact that we have a lot more people who are generally inside, in offices, during storms. In the forties and fifties, we still had a lot of farming, a lot more outside "jobs," if you will. Farming, especially some of the harvesting, took place during the most active storm months, so you had farmers and seasonal workers who were trying to get crops in. You had kids playing baseball, starting early football practice, just playing outside, rather than sitting in front of televisions or computers or the like. More people tending gardens, especially vegetable gardens. More people living in small towns or on farms, rather than in cities. I haven't seen the statistics, but I'm betting few lightening strike occur in cities than in rural or small urban areas.

OH, yeah, I'm allergic to stress (wry s). It creates something called anxiety and panic disorder. While the experiments with mice appears to go back to the old "fight or flight" adrenaline issue, today's stress for humans is much more insiduous (sp?). Since we're no longer dealing with wild animals and tribal enemies, it translates to work deadlines, financial problems, relationship issues, mental/emotional crises. The adrenaline skyrockets, but has no place to go for release. Stress leads to anxiety, which leads to chemical imbalances, which leads to a strong possibility of depression. Over a period of time, if we don't realize what's happening, it leads to clinical depression. Just the stress of thinking we need to meet someone else's goals or expectations for us can do that. Our ancestors had physical threats, like the mice in the experiment. We have mental and emotion threats, to which our bodies react in a similar way, but fight or fight really isn't an option in most cases. Often, depression comes from the fact one feels no sense of control over worrisome issues and just kind of gives up. According to my neurologist and therapist twenty-plus years ago, I was very fortunate in that I didn't develop clinical depression. No one knows why. Something about chemical imbalances working differently in different people. I was very fortunate. Still, if you can identify what causes stress for you and find a way to mange or deal with it (or eliminate it, (koff)), you're way ahead of the game.

Kudos to Leavitt! Boo, hiss, to the guy who said women make fighter units ineffective. Women are natural problem solvers, often more willing to look outside the box. I won't say men and women are the same, by any stretch, but I will say women have many of the same capabilites, talents and strengths as men and it's good to see that being recognized and proven.

William J. said...

Hi DR

The same things seem to motivate us.

I actually like thunder and lightening storms but prefer watching them from inside. Interesting point about more jobs being inside. I also don't remember the last time I saw a pickup football or baseball game.

That makes two of us allergic to stress. Which reminds me I've been doing great with my panic disorder. I quit trying to meet others' expectations it is hard enough to meet mine. Interesting about the different type of stresses in the past and now. I had never thought about it before.
Great information about stress, DR, thank you.

I agree boo hiss and a few punches to the gut to the idiot clueless guy and a big year to Leavitt.

Bill