Pressure
You’ll have to answer
To your own
Pressure
Billy Joel – Pressure
We all feel pressure in some form or another.
Maybe, it’s paying the bills, getting or keeping a job, satisfying your love ones, or satisfying yourself.
Pressure can manifest itself in many ways. It could be loss of appetite, headaches, disturbed sleep, etc.
Generally, I deal with pressure rather well. My wife, however, may disagree with that assessment.
Anyway, something recently has come along in my life that has caused me to feel pressure. The kids are fine, my job is secure, and my wife and I are in good health. So, the issue is not particularly serious and the pressure should not exist.
Let me give you some background.
I’m a loser. No, I don’t mean this in a self-deprecation sort of way. Well, not completely.
It’s just that I have a history of losing things.
This history goes back to childhood. I had clips on my jacket which attached to my gloves. You remember those? I still went through six pair of gloves one winter. My mother has reminded me of that particular winter a number of times.
Unfortunately, this habit of losing stuff continued as I got older.
Check out this partial list of all items I have lost:
Three passports. (It’s a miracle I am not on some terrorist watch list.)
Two driver’s license
Lunch Bags
Water Bottles
Library Books
Eyeglasses
And my children. But luckily I keep finding them. Or they me.
Clearly, it’s a long and ugly history.
And I am scarred.
Yet, there is hope.
I actually retired my last lunch bag – after two years.
I had a pair of glasses for three years – and then they broke.
This is the first Chanukah since my wife, Ms. MMK and I got together (12 year anniversary on Monday) that she did not buy me a hat or gloves as a present.
Maybe, I am a loser no more.
A burden has been lifted.
I’m swelling with pride.
I keep things. I retain.
While getting used to this newly earned title, my wife, Ms. MMK made a decision. It’s actually very practical, and I love practical.
Her decision was to buy a monthly bus pass for us to share. On those days she works in the city, she uses the monthly bus pass, and I use it the other days. Gold for 50th anniversary, silver for 25th anniversary, and a shared monthly bus pass for a 12th anniversary.
I do love her, but she has no idea of the pressure this has put on me.
You see I thought of buying a monthly bus pass for myself during those months when it would make sense monetarily.
But I held back.
Why?
Because the monthly bus pass is pricey. So, if it is lost that’s nearly 150 dollars down the drain in one fell swoop. And I would be angry and feel like crap if I lost the monthly bus pass.
Each time I ready to get on the bus these days, there is a moment when I can’t find monthly bus pass. I rifle through my brief case. I fight to remain calm.
It’s pressure man! Pressure, pressure, pressure.
So far, so good.
I need to relax and let