Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Cause and Effect

So, I've been tired lately (see excuse #5 in the previous post). Not getting enough sleep. Staying up way too late and getting up WAY too early. I've always enjoyed my type-A personality. I loved calculus and chemistry as a student because it's all based on formulas, which are based on unchanging facts. You figure out the formula you can figure out the problem. I'm the handyman at our house. Give me any size project to put together and as long as I have instructions to follow step by step, I can do it. I've always been a logical person, making my decisions based on pros and cons, black and white, without emotions getting in the way. Yes, I would say I'm not an emotional person at all. At times I've even been frustrated with my frequent inability to show emotion.

Well, I've come to realize that
lack of sleep = unexpected emotional outbursts

Example #1: Last week I took my daughter and her friend to see High School Musical 3. In the very opening scene of the movie Troy's basketball team is playing in the state championship game and they're losing! It's half-time, Troy and his friends break out in song and rally together to give it all they have. They come bursting out of the locker room (still singing: "The way we play tonight is what we leave behind! It all comes down to right now it’s up to us!") to a cheering crowd and warm up for the second half...and I'm crying! Yes, that's right, actual tears rolling down my cheeks. I was crying, true story! It didn't stop there. I cried when Gabriella moved away. I cried when she called Troy to say she couldn't come to prom. I cried at the end of the movie. What the heck is wrong with me?!!!! I didn't even cry the first time I saw Titanic or Braveheart or when Heath Ledger's character died in The Patriot. I didn't even cry when I watched Old Yeller as a child, or Where the Red Fern Grows.

Example #2: A friend of mine invited me to attend the Habitat for Humanity fundraiser breakfast this morning at the Conference Center downtown. So, I'm sitting at a table with mostly strangers, watching a video presentation of the work that Habitat for Humanity does. Yep, the tears start rolling. I'm crying and can't stop! Then people who have had homes built for them get up to share their personal stories, and oh boy, I kept wiping my eyes....I felt so stupid! (That said, I was very impressed with the work Habitat for Humanity does and the way they run their organization.) There I was, sitting next to these well-dressed men and women in their business suits...the only one crying. Sheesh! I've got to get more sleep!!!


Random picture to go along with this random post: Olivia, my niece Victoria, and Sarah, rockin' out!

5 comments:

Ona said...

I totally cried in HSM3! Get some sleep.

February Jill said...

Hmmm... I say take a pregnancy test and then get some rest!

:) Jill

Michelle said...

I can TOTALLY relate. I live in a sleep deprived world as well... and I have examples that I could list for you as well. In fact, being sleep deprived AND hormonal is an issue. It seems like I have a once a month visit with my boss that I have to come back and say, 'opps, sorry about the emotion'... :) Hope you find some 'margin' in your life soon!

Christi said...

Oh man, I missed you! I love your crying stories and scripture and cute pictures of your kids doing amazing things. I can't believe everything you are able to pull off. I'm praying that you get good sleep this week!

Lindsay said...

Have you heard of the book Margins - by Richard A. Swenson ?? ... my dad just sent me an email about it... anyway - I think I'm about to order one for myself :)

May God continue to use you where He has placed you (with and without the emotion) because YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!! :)