I just woke up from a nap—a much-needed nap. I woke up at 0100hrs this morning and had been up since then. My psychiatrist has suggested that I switch my medications up to a night schedule so that I am up at night and sleep during the day. This would be an experiment for two weeks to find out if I could at least get the nightmares under control because I do sleep better during the day and I do not have nightmares during the day. The Doc says that I am not the only person in the world with PTSD who has the sleep problems that I have. I have been thinking about it and it might be worth a try.
Today is Father’s Day, so Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! My own father is no longer with us to celebrate it, but he gets to celebrate every day without the pain and suffering he had in this life, so I am sure he is celebrating today as well. Happy Father’s Day, Pop! I have to admit that it has been a hard day for me. I miss my Pop something terrible. It has been over a year and I still catch myself thinking, “Hey, I have to show this to Dad!” and then the realization that I cannot show him because he is gone. I also pass by things in the store and wonder if Pop would like that for his birthday—what birthday? No more birthdays for him… Oh, well. I am glad I remember to look for things that he would like and think of him often. I think of the good memories, which I should write down, and when a less-than-ideal memory pops up, I just think of his laugh and his hug and his smile. So, if your father is still with you, make sure you give him a call or a hug and tell him you love him today! Do not delay!
Tomorrow, my first online class at Southern New Hampshire University begins! I have to admit that I am less intimidated than I was initially, having established a good rapport with the professor, but I still have some anxiety about it. Most of the anxiety is that of a person who has been out of school for a while and is in a different area than one of their expertise. I have been doing what I can to establish a good, solid base in literature and creative writing. I do not foresee a problem, but I do want to be prepared!
I went to town with my mom and my aunt this afternoon. It was incredibly busy at Walmart. I decided to go inside with them anyway and wore my mask. I was appalled at the number of people not wearing masks, but I guess from what I have heard on the news that wearing a simple mask is a highly charged issue right now. Who would have thought that wearing a mask (or not) could be divisive? If everybody wears a mask, everybody cuts down on the chance of spreading their own pathogens and everybody is safer. No, it is not going to prevent 100% of infections, but it will cut down significantly on the spread of all things infectious, including the dreaded COVID-19. Herd immunity with vaccinations works on the same principle, but where you have people who refuse to get their children vaccinated (yes, that is their choice, and I am not taking a side here), there are outbreaks of preventable disease—measles, for instance. I think that we need to be mindful of our neighbors and not just ourselves. Yes, I might be a healthy middle-aged adult, but if my mother or grandmother or my clients or whomever I am around often are in high-risk categories, I need to think about them more than myself. I think the entire world could benefit from everyone being a little less selfish in all things. Just my opinion…
CLIMBING 4 THE REST OF US 