What’s that you say? You’re not quite awake at 523AM? You’re heading into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee and catch up on some work. It’s still dark and your brain is in neutral. It certainly isn’t in “flight” or “fight” mode.
As you enter your office, you get a sense you need to look around. Turning the lights on, you begin your check in your immediate area starting from the feet up. All clear. You continue your scan when out of the corner of your eye you spot a slight movement to your left. You turn your head and there, hanging on the wall is a scorpion. Ok, now, now we are fully awake and in full “fight” mode. (Truth be told, I wanted to opt for “flight”.) Fight mode! It’s on! That’s right! I go roust my sleeping husband. He squashes it and places it’s remains in the trash in the kitchen. I graciously thank him as he returns to bed.
Here is the problem. My overactive imagination. I am not going to work in my office until I can vacuum every square inch of it. I opt to head to the kitchen and work. I drag my Mac and work papers out to the kitchen table. I get everything set up. I’ve got coffee. I’m in work mode. So, what’s the issue?
Well, the issue is I keep thinking about the squashed body of the scorpion laying in my trash. In the kitchen. Behind me. Intellectually, I know its’s dead. I mean D-E-A-D. If you know my husband, there is no doubt in your mind the thing is obliterated. But my overactive imagination is thinking things like, “It could regenerate and come back to life.” Yeah. Really. Those are the thoughts I’m having. So, given that I had taken a seat at the kitchen table which put my back to the area of the kitchen housing the trash, I decided to turn around and face that area. “Just in case.”
So here I sit. I am working but every so often, my eyes head to the trash. I totally get that there is no way a regenerated scorpion will come crawling out of that trash. I mean, that would be nuts. That’s stuff for late night, scary movies. I’m not afraid of a dead scorpion. Back to work.
(Five minutes later) Yeah, that trash looks full so I’m going to put it out in the garage. I’m helpful like that. Sigh.
*Of a scorpion
