Comfortably Numb

Have you ever had a week where so much has happened that by Friday you feel comfortably numb? A state where so much has gone on that not only do you feel neither here nor there, but disorientation circles around you? Comfortably numb….going thirteen rounds in the boxing ring of life. Why does this happen, we may ask? Perhaps it is the minds way of giving us a “time out,” a chance to reflect, rest, relax, regroup and prepare to get back on the treadmill of humanity.

I once was walking along a street in New York City, a man bumped into me and kept right on going. I looked back, he didn’t even turn around, just headed off down the street, banging into a few other people. On another occasion, I was at the post office and a person went up to the window and asked for three books of stamps. The clerk at the window had a glazed look on his face….he waited about three minutes and said to the customer, “How many stamps do you want?” Comfortably numb, indeed.

Many of us are constantly looking for ways to deal with the pressures of life…some use medication, others alcohol, and some, exercise. Unfortunately, more and more are just choosing to tune out and float. You know what I mean? Just look around…you can see it. It’s one thing to daydream…it’s something else entirely to look vacated. The band Pink Floyd has written a song all about it called, you guessed it, “Comfortably Numb” !

Have you ever gotten into a car, driven around ten blocks, and wondered how you got there? Comfortably numb. Have you ever had a conversation with someone, tuned out, and tuned back in before the end of the conversation? Comfortably numb. Have you ever had a cup of coffee and then the next minute the cup is empty, and you’re wondering who drank it all? Comfortably numb! Have you ever done the laundry, brought it upstairs, and then returned later to pick it up again? Comfortably numb. How about this one….you think it’s Tuesday until you get to the office and find out it’s Wednesday! Comfortably numb, indeed.

As you can tell, I’m having a little fun with this…but one thing’s for sure….this “condition” of comfortably numb can become quite contagious. Let’s hope we don’t start to live in a world that’s just “comfortably numb.”

Step lively,

Jennifer Avalon