Apologies to finslippy Readers


Wherein Our Heroine is Overdue.
Dear Readers of finslippy:

Yikes. I am terribly sorry. I had left a comment in this thread, indicating that I had a somewhat interesting technique for handling tough decisions and also indicating that I would write about it "tomorrow."

"Tomorrow" was supposed to be the 29th of last month. The problem was, I completely forgot about writing about this until I checked my SiteMeter stats and realized that I had a bunch of visitors who came over from finslippy. Of course, not getting what you came for, you will probably never come back again, and therefore never see this abject apology and the (by now incredibly anti-climactic) story about the technique for making tough decisions. But anyway. Here it is:

The time is early spring, 1989. The setting is Syracuse University. Like many people in my undergraduate program, I intended to spend a semester of my junior year at the satellite campus in London. By following this plan, I would get to go abroad with many of my friends. But when it came time to fill out the application, I realized three things: one, I really did not want to live in campus housing at all, ever, any more; two, I did not want to have roommates in this theoretical off-campus housing arrangement; and three, if I went to London in the fall of 1989 and came back to campus for the 1990 spring and fall semesters, I would have a very hard time finding an apartment since the building I had my eye on had college-town leases that ran from June to June.

And so, the practical warred with the emotional. I wanted to go to London with my friends in general (and specifically with Richard, who constantly kept me laughing throughout college), but I did not want to sacrifice my independence. I also knew I would get major guilt trips from the non-Richard friends, who were not averse to a spot of emotional blackmail at the time. (At 20 I had not yet perfected my technique of refusing a ticket when a guilt trip was offered.)

I then did what I have often done when I am confused: I called Mom. She suggested trying something that sounded kind of woo-woo, but I did it. She said, "Try saying one solution out loud - make it an affirmative statement, then see what you feel."

Feeling like an idiot, I said, "I am not going to London next semester."

"What was your reaction?" asked Mom.

"Relief," I said.

"Try it the other way."

"Okay, I am going to London next semester."

"What now?"

"Panic."

"I think you have your answer."

So that, my Dear Readers (and visitors from finslippy, if there are any anymore), is it. Carole's Affirmative Statement Technique - try it today!

Posted: Monday - April 04, 2005 at 08:28 AM         | |

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