Some days it’s good to laugh at yourself. And if you can’t force out a real laugh, a fake one will suffice. Today I had a really stupid episode. It involved an email and sheer panic.
A few days ago I woke up late with a kink in my neck. I did what I usually do under these circumstances- I stretched my neck out and made sure that I could bend my chin forward to touch my chest. Why, you ask? Because my high school french teacher told the class that an inability to perform that task is a symptom of meningitis (I think she was a hypochondriac too). Now, whenever I feel sick, I quietly perform this routine. Anyways- all seemed fine. Until this evening.
You really can’t trust other people in regards to your health. Especially if those people are students. University during the winter months is a storm of used tissues and viruses. Gross, I know.
Tonight I happened upon a special email that was just waiting to trigger me into a state of panic. The email was basically a cautionary message stating that a member of the university had contracted meningococcal disease, a disease that “results in meningitis”.
Of course I proceeded to go into a panic and text family and friends for reassurance that I did not have this disease. Over the proceeding hour my neck felt worse (even though it has actually gotten better) and I started to feel sick and tired.
A few hours later, I am sitting at my laptop, writing this post, feeling fine, and pretending that I could laugh at all of this. Realistically, I am not really in the mood for laughing, but I’m sure that one day, I will find this post comical. Until then, let’s hope that a)I am fine and b)I don’t get another panic-inducing email any time soon. I’m really not the fake-laughing type.
