Stress Tale

For those of you who regularly check this blog, I'd like to apologize for its lack of fresh content.  Things at work have gotten insanely busy as we strive to meet some goals that are nearly impossible.  The stress of trying to get everything done on time and also prepare for Christmas has taken its toll on me.  I sleep erratically and generally just feel lousy.

I've been stressed before and I know how it makes me feel.  I don't like the feeling and I try hard to manage my time and workload to avoid these types of situations.  Usually this works for me, but every once in awhile, like now, something unexpected comes up and throws a wrench into everything.

I have found one bright spot in all of this.  When I'm stressed, I usually have lots of trouble falling asleep.  My mind races with all the things I'm worrying about.  I have found that if I think up a story, sort of a mental novel, I can distract myself enough to finally fall asleep.  Each night, I return to the same storyline.  Sometimes, I think about the characters, sometimes the plot.  Each night, I start from the beginning and work my way forward, sometimes jumping over sections to get to new parts.

For the past couple of weeks, I've thought through the same basic story.  There have been subtle changes as the characters evolve in my mind.  I don't know that I'll ever write any of it down or if it will just exist in my mind.  I fear that if I write something down it will hinder my ability to do my mental edits.  Maybe when I'm through this stressful time I'll be ready to unload the tale.