Sunday, July 23, 2017

The Phenomenon

There's a phenomenon I think a lot of you relate to (you'll have to chime in and let me know). It's where you fail to cry over things that should be cried over until something stupid happens that makes you cry, and then you cry for the stupid thing plus everything that's built up over the last while that you haven't cried for yet.

Okay, I just reread that sentence and, uh... I need help here. Let me tell you the story, and then you'll go, "Ah! Yes! That phenomenon!"

I graduated last Tuesday (I'm sorry, but this is going to keep coming up for a while. Bear with me. It's a huge part of who I am right now). I felt like there should be some emotion involved with graduating. I thought I should probably cry or something. But I didn't cry. I didn't feel much of anything. 

On Saturday, I finished my internship. I sat in the chair at the library - a chair I've spent so many hours in this year that I'm pretty sure my butt has molded to it - for three hours straight. I compiled a folder of all my work and emailed it to my supervisor. I thought I might feel something after I hit send, but again, I didn't really feel anything.

I hadn't eaten for a long time, so I decided to celebrate the completion of my internship by going to Chick-Fil-A. I drove to the restaurant, ordered my food, pulled up to the window, and discovered that I didn't have my wallet. 

My heart was set on that #1 with no pickles, Dr. Pepper, and two Chick-Fil-A sauces. 


And I didn't get my chicken!

So I cried.

I cried for chicken. I cried because I didn't know where my wallet was. I cried because I graduated. I cried over The Incident. I cried because I finished my internship. I cried because I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. And I cried because I was really happy that it wasn't my turn to teach Sunday school the following day (Bless you, KoriAnn).

It only lasted about seven minutes, but I finally felt something. And all because I couldn't have a chicken sandwich. 

That is the phenomenon. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this. 

5 comments:

love.joy.lane said...

The 5 times I had the phenomenon happen:

1. When Blake said he liked the Orange Julius I made as opposed to the orange Julius I made 10 years ago that he didn't like.

2. That one time we missed the bus.

3. When they forgot the sour cream and butter on my baked potato at the Burley Wendy's and I didn't realize it until 10 miles down the freeway... so I had to eat a plain baked potato.

4. Anytime I stub my toe.

5. That one time I caught Blake whistling in the shower.

All of these were triggers to endless tears.

Jo said...

My oldest went to college the same day that my youngest went to kindergarten. I didn't cry. I went to my exercise class and I bumped into a child while exercising, which was no big deal and I cried for about 10 minutes nonstop.

Jo said...

Oh, and I can have something big happening for a week and even tell people about it, but when I tell my mom about it, I cry.

Jana Lyn said...

Talking to my mom about stuff has the same effect on me as Aunt Jo. But it does seem that I usually cry over small, insignificant things more. Oh the joys of our emotions.

Feisty Harriet said...

Girl, I 100% do this 100% of the time. I'll hold it together for the Big Stuff and then lose it over something small because I just can't hold anymore.

xox