Last night I had my first stress workshop. It was pretty good, although it was mostly concerned with the biological causes of stress and the various parts of the brain. I learned that the limbic system (the middle bits) control emotions, and that there is no ability to tell time within that part of the brain. So, for example, you can get catapulted into negative self-talk really quickly if a current situation triggers a memory of a past situation.

Point:

In the last week I have been exchanging emails with all of my far-flung Angels. There was an email from Poet about Ophelia that...well...catapulted me right into 1998. I've been through so much since then and made so many wonderful life choices (hello Boy!) that, logically speaking, I shouldn't be all weirded out hearing about Poet's past infatuation with Ophelia. But the limbic system (which is, by the way, where I live most of my life) pushed the feelings forward nonetheless. I got up from the computer restless, anxious to prove somehow that I wasn't a bitch or a loser. It took me several minutes to calm down.