This has been a bit of a rough week on this semi-humble current events observer. With the house on the market, the need for extended single parenting, a sick kid, and all that accompanies a graduating senior this time of year, my week has been challenging. Hence, when an unexpected allergic reaction prompts hives on over 90% of one\u2019s body, it can be arduous indeed. Yes, it itches all over; and yes, I won\u2019t be taking any antibiotic containing sulfamethoxazole again any time soon.<\/p>\n
Let me be frank in saying that while the Intramuralist has never shied from sharing a personal reaction to a current scenario \u2014 albeit respectfully, of course \u2014 sharing my personal reaction to bactrim seems a bit of a stretch\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026 well, sort of\u2026<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s go back to the itch.<\/p>\n
I itch all over.<\/p>\n
Let me say it another way. While there\u2019s a ton going on all around me, a ton going on in this world today, a ton happening not just to me but to all those around me \u2014 people I know and people I don\u2019t \u2014 I can\u2019t think about them. All I can think about is how much I itch.<\/p>\n
Remember that iconic \u201cFriends\u201d episode guest-starring Charlie Sheen? Sheen plays a military man on leave, eager to spend a passionate two weeks with his girl, Phoebe. As foreshadowed by the episode\u2019s title, \u201cThe One with the Chicken Pox,\u201d Phoebe has contacted the infectious disease, and it quickly spreads to Sheen as well. Ever insistent Monica mandates the two strap oven mitts to each hand, thereby making physical touching \u2014 and itching \u2014 impossible. When the afflicted are enthusiastically able to free themselves from Monica\u2019s need to control the behavior of other people, all the passionate pair want to do is touch each other\u2026 that is, all they want to do is scratch. Their itch is pretty much all they can think about.<\/p>\n
That, my friends, is how I feel today.<\/p>\n
\u2026 again, well\u2026 sort of\u2026<\/p>\n
That is how I\u2019m tempted<\/em> to feel today.<\/p>\n I want to be totally transparent\u2026<\/p>\n The itch is bad. It\u2019s strong. I was forewarned by my wise medical professionals that it would take a while to resolve and in the meantime, I may be more irritable and hungry. It truly is hard for me to think more of anything or anyone else.<\/p>\n In other words, my itch is affecting my reaction to all that ton of activity going on around me. It\u2019s affecting how I feel, think, and respond to other events, scenarios, people, etc. It\u2019s affecting everything.<\/em> I am totally tempted to see life through my itch. My sensitivities are exponentially heightened; my reactions are nothing short of instantaneous. I\u2019m less gentle\u2026 less kind\u2026 less openminded\u2026 and less empathetic. I\u2019m also more blunt\u2026 more passionate\u2026 more stubborn\u2026 and yes, more irritable.<\/p>\n One of the things I oft advocate is to step outside my circumstances long enough to gain an accurate perspective. In fact, perhaps one of the most sincere questions I humbly ask of another is whether we are allowing God to be defined by our circumstances \u2014 or are we stepping outside of our circumstances long enough, in order to see him first. In other words, how much are our circumstances affecting our perspective?<\/p>\n Right now, my circumstances justify a less kinder, more stubborn response. Let\u2019s go farther\u2026 remove my circumstances from me\u2026 project them onto one of my children or onto another I love or hold dear. You can bet I will be just as \u201clesser\u201d\u2026 that is, less gentle\u2026 less kind\u2026 less humble\u2026 etc. I can\u2019t be as rational nor wise when I\u2019m focused on the itch.<\/p>\n Man, I need to find those oven mitts. Maybe, too, I\u2019ll go grab something to eat.<\/p>\n Respectfully\u2026 This has been a bit of a rough week on this semi-humble current events observer. With the house on the market, the need for extended single parenting, a sick kid, and all that accompanies a graduating senior this time of year, my week has been challenging. Hence, when an unexpected allergic reaction prompts hives on … <\/p>\n
\nAR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"