Dr. Rubber Duckie: Ah, Leibchen! There you are. How are things going these days? Takes a closer look at patient....
Do you realize that you have a pretty firm grip on the edge of the tub there dear?
Me: White knuckle silence.
Dr. RD: What seems to have you so on edge?
Me: White knuckle silence.
Dr. RD: Wracking bird brain for brilliant nut-cracking question.
Er, Who is that furry creature drinking from the lavender scented water?
Me: Oh, sorry. Dr. Rubber Duckie, Sunny. Sunny, Dr. Rubber Duckie.
Dr. RD: Seeing opening... Well, how do you do Sunny? (Sotto voice to lapping dog,) Do you know the lyrics to "Summertime"? Now would be a really good time to trot them out if you do.
Sunny: Slurp, lap. Slurp, lap.
Dr. RD: Thinking maybe he should have taken up gardening instead of psychiatry...
Me: To tell you the truth Doctor, I think I have moved into a new phase in the Menoupause journey, and I don't know quite what to think of it. I mean, I think I am feeling better on some levels, but on others... well, I feel like I'm entering a strange land where I don't know the language or the customs and I am afraid Im going to do or say something that will get me into big trouble. I mean, I have gotten pretty good at living in a small space. Private, inward. This new place seems WAY too big.
Dr. RD: Well, let's begin by trying to let go of the edge of the tub. Let your hands float in the nice warm water all right? Close your eyes. Let the tension go between those shoulder blades. You have no neck when you scrunch up like that.
Me: .... Complying as best as possible. Taking a deep breath. Oh, That's better.
Dr. RD: I thought so. How are you getting along with your new doggie friend?
Me: Pretty well. She's a very nice dog. A good dog. But.....
Dr. RD: She's not Robbie.
Me: Yes! How did you know?
Dr. RD: 8 Years of medical school Leibchen.
Me: Right.
Dr. RD: And how do you feel about that?
Me: Well, I was sort of feeling guilty at first. Disloyal. And then I felt bad because I don't think I will be bonding with this dog like I did with Robbie. I felt like I would be cheating her. Then I started thinking that bonding with anything or anyone was a stupid idea altogether, because stuff happens. Animals and people get sick, or misbehave, or stop talking to you, or God forbid, die. Your favorite tea mug could fall to the floor and smash into a million pieces, your favorite CD can start to skip and stutter, your favorite half moon pin on your fuchsia felted purse can fall off and be laying in some gutter somewhere all alone. Your familiar and comfortable life could get disrupted by a move to some new place where you won't know anybody. Life is just a freaking ...... FREAK show of uncertainties.
So I'm a little TENSE you see. Crap, I DESERVE to be tense. Any SANE person would be tense! . . . . looking down at cold hands gripping sides of tub..... again.
Dr. RD: Ah, I see. The Uncertainty Principle. Its a biggy. Ill give you that. But look here, I see a furry friend snoozing right next to the tub here. That was uncertain too. But it happened. It turned out good right?
Me: Glancing at snoozing dog... Well, yeeesss.....
Dr. RD: We have to learn to take the good with the not so good, and the conflicted feelings with the certain ones. It's just the way things are. I will admit that sometimes it's overwhelming. But if we focus on it too much, we can get paralyzed and not do anything at all. You don't want to do that do you?
Me: Stubborn frown planted on face...... Sounds safer.
Dr. RD: Tapping beak with flight feathers...... Maybe we should make another appointment to discuss this, when you are a less grumpy.... Er, I mean distracted.
Me: White knuckle silence.
Dr. RD: Leafing through appointment book. . . How about 6.... no, 8 months from now?
Me: Chicken.
Dr. RD: Shocked.. . That's Duck to you Leibchen. Duck.
Sunny: (Wondering who this female is talking to)..... Slurp lap, slurp lap. Lavender you say... Hmmmm, tasty stuff.
[album 65561 Pink divider.gif]
Do you realize that you have a pretty firm grip on the edge of the tub there dear?
Me: White knuckle silence.
Dr. RD: What seems to have you so on edge?
Me: White knuckle silence.
Dr. RD: Wracking bird brain for brilliant nut-cracking question.
Er, Who is that furry creature drinking from the lavender scented water?
Me: Oh, sorry. Dr. Rubber Duckie, Sunny. Sunny, Dr. Rubber Duckie.
Dr. RD: Seeing opening... Well, how do you do Sunny? (Sotto voice to lapping dog,) Do you know the lyrics to "Summertime"? Now would be a really good time to trot them out if you do.
Sunny: Slurp, lap. Slurp, lap.
Dr. RD: Thinking maybe he should have taken up gardening instead of psychiatry...
Me: To tell you the truth Doctor, I think I have moved into a new phase in the Menoupause journey, and I don't know quite what to think of it. I mean, I think I am feeling better on some levels, but on others... well, I feel like I'm entering a strange land where I don't know the language or the customs and I am afraid Im going to do or say something that will get me into big trouble. I mean, I have gotten pretty good at living in a small space. Private, inward. This new place seems WAY too big.
Dr. RD: Well, let's begin by trying to let go of the edge of the tub. Let your hands float in the nice warm water all right? Close your eyes. Let the tension go between those shoulder blades. You have no neck when you scrunch up like that.
Me: .... Complying as best as possible. Taking a deep breath. Oh, That's better.
Dr. RD: I thought so. How are you getting along with your new doggie friend?
Me: Pretty well. She's a very nice dog. A good dog. But.....
Dr. RD: She's not Robbie.
Me: Yes! How did you know?
Dr. RD: 8 Years of medical school Leibchen.
Me: Right.
Dr. RD: And how do you feel about that?
Me: Well, I was sort of feeling guilty at first. Disloyal. And then I felt bad because I don't think I will be bonding with this dog like I did with Robbie. I felt like I would be cheating her. Then I started thinking that bonding with anything or anyone was a stupid idea altogether, because stuff happens. Animals and people get sick, or misbehave, or stop talking to you, or God forbid, die. Your favorite tea mug could fall to the floor and smash into a million pieces, your favorite CD can start to skip and stutter, your favorite half moon pin on your fuchsia felted purse can fall off and be laying in some gutter somewhere all alone. Your familiar and comfortable life could get disrupted by a move to some new place where you won't know anybody. Life is just a freaking ...... FREAK show of uncertainties.
So I'm a little TENSE you see. Crap, I DESERVE to be tense. Any SANE person would be tense! . . . . looking down at cold hands gripping sides of tub..... again.
Dr. RD: Ah, I see. The Uncertainty Principle. Its a biggy. Ill give you that. But look here, I see a furry friend snoozing right next to the tub here. That was uncertain too. But it happened. It turned out good right?
Me: Glancing at snoozing dog... Well, yeeesss.....
Dr. RD: We have to learn to take the good with the not so good, and the conflicted feelings with the certain ones. It's just the way things are. I will admit that sometimes it's overwhelming. But if we focus on it too much, we can get paralyzed and not do anything at all. You don't want to do that do you?
Me: Stubborn frown planted on face...... Sounds safer.
Dr. RD: Tapping beak with flight feathers...... Maybe we should make another appointment to discuss this, when you are a less grumpy.... Er, I mean distracted.
Me: White knuckle silence.
Dr. RD: Leafing through appointment book. . . How about 6.... no, 8 months from now?
Me: Chicken.
Dr. RD: Shocked.. . That's Duck to you Leibchen. Duck.
Sunny: (Wondering who this female is talking to)..... Slurp lap, slurp lap. Lavender you say... Hmmmm, tasty stuff.
[album 65561 Pink divider.gif]