Self diagnosis

It's been Christmas card time this afternoon. I'm spent...and I'm not even done yet! I put a good dent in them, though. I'll be sending out about 100 of them, and I've got 75 or so ready for return labels and stamps (the easy part). I needed a break, so I'll finish them tomorrow. Besides, I think I was starting to get a little buzz from ingesting all that envelope glue. If you get a card from me, you will have a sample of my DNA. Don't say I never sent you anything!

Cousin Shane and I exchanged some emails last week about how we felt weird. Not exactly weird--we're always that--not really depressed, but...out of sorts? That's the best way I can think of to describe it. We wondered if part of it is winter setting in, and I figured part of mine was being out of town for a few days, sleeping in a different bed, etc. I don't know if Shane has thought about his doldrums further, but I was pondering mine, and I think I've finally diagnosed myself.

I believe I'm suffering from Post-Election Withdrawal Syndrome (PEWS). For a solid two months, I was consumed by all things political; during that heady time, I felt fully engaged with the process in our country. I read everything I could online, from local news stories to blogs. I had CNN on as soon as I got up and I watched it after Ken went to bed. I read the articles in Time thoroughly, checked the polls online daily, and exchanged emails, fast and furious, with friends concerning the election. I debated with my Dad, and like many other families in the country, we were divided on issues. Every untrue rumor about President-Elect Obama fueled my fire and raised my ire, and factchecking became a verb for me.

Now it's over. My guy won, and I'm happy about that, but I'm feeling a little bereft and adrift. Instead of spending time learning more about the issues, I have to resort to stories about Palin pardoning turkeys and then being interviewed while one is slaughtered behind her; an evil, manipulative, money-grubbing governor and his equally money-grubbing wife; and today, Joe the Plumber saying that he was appalled and angry at John McCain and almost jumped off the bus before it went over the cliff. Et tu, Joe? And just how schizo IS this guy? Get some therapy, dude. I think you might have dissociative disorder. Are you Sam or are you Joe? (Sing it to the tune of the Clash song!)

[sigh] Oh sure, there are bright spots like debating the bailouts, and of course, Rahm Emanuel. But I have to ask...why do the birds go on singing? Why do the stars glow above? And what IS it all about, Alfie?

Well, now that I know what is happening, I can forge ahead and go on with my life. PEWS is not life-threatening, but it can be temporarily debilitating. I'll be okay, I'll overcome it, and I can turn my energy into finding a place here for my in-laws to live, preparing for a kickass garden this summer, and tackling a project or two around here. I just need to make sure that in the next month and a half, my PEWS doesn't morph into Pre-Inaugural Stress Syndrome (PISS). That would be really bad.