A Couple of Wished For Avoidances

There’s really not that many. After all, life is pretty good. If I avoid too many things, what kind of life would I have. However, there are a few things I wish I could avoid or just skip altogether. Most are out of my control, aren’t they?

Bills

I have never paid bills online. I don’t trust it. We used to be on online banking to check our balance. Unfortunately, we were almost scammed so I closed out our little online banking for good.

The bankers tell me our money is safer online than using the old-fashioned ways of writing and mailing. Call me old-fashioned. The exception is the cell phone bill. This is an automatic withdrawal so we have a better rate. I wish the bills would arrive all on the same day.

So that gives me my first thing I’d like to avoid: the dribbling in of monthly bills. I guess I am just happy to be able to pay them no matter when they arrive.

Pharmaceutical Ads on TV

The answer to this one is just too obvious — quit watching TV. New Zealand is the only other country that is subjected to as many ads as the United States Without helping myself, I’ve watched ad after ad after ad, year after year after year.

In the U.S. this includes digital, magazine, newspaper, billboard, radio, and television promotion. We are being blasted with these ads at an increasing volume.

The number increased more than 10-fold in 2020, reaching $6.58 billion annually. Then add four more years of pharma ads. Https:/www.health.usc.edu.

What I find so interesting is that as I age, I have ended up using some of these drugs. It catches up with you.

For example, I remember watching Sally Field advertising Boniva and saying this may be for me. I didn’t know I had issues at the time. Later I did. I took it for maybe two months. Couldn’t stand it so I quit altogether for several years.

However, time passed and it ended up I had osteoporosis. I took Evenity for a year and now I take Prolia. These two drugs are advertised on TV all the time. There was a time when women did not want to take anything for osteoporosis. I think the tide is changing on this — I hope so.

Osteoporosis medications have come and gone. My primary care proivider swears by Prolia, and if necessary, Evenity. She says things have improved greatly in osteoporosis treatment. Bye bye, Sally.

Another drug that has caught up with me is Ingrezza. It is for tardive dyskinesia. TD is a condition which causes tics here and there in your body, most commonly caused by long term use of mental health drugs — probably other things as well, but I don’t know. I only have one tic according to my therapist — it involves my mouth though I barely notice it. If my therapist says it’s there then I guess it is. At any rate, I have it for life with or without the drug.

I ran out of Ingrezza recently, the tic medicine. My mouth got worse. I started grinding my teeth. If I were to pay out-of-pocket yearly for this drug, it would cost approximately $102,973 to $113,126. I don’t know how current these figures are. Fortunately, I am blessed with a grant and some maneuvering with the insurance company to pay for this.

Other avoidances such as:

• Uncomfortable thoughts
• Pain
• Discomfort
• Uncertainty
• Difficult people
• Challenging tasks
• Headache
• Conflict

I think Conflict is the worst of these.

I mean who likes serious disagreements (usually protracted), quarrels, disputes, or maybe just incompatibility? I haven’t crossed anyone in a fever pitch lately, but, of course, one will show up.

Pxhere.com

A few months ago someone said something to me that I thought was unnecessary. Out came my dukes, not that bad really. I explained what my problem was. Not to be outdone, I received a fair amount of incoming, not too bad. That’s been the only excitement lately. Getting mad at the dogs and cat don’t count.

Conflict is one thing I’d like to avoid at all costs. No way out — there’s no avoiding conflict in life.

Uncomfortable thoughts/difficult people

This is a common response right after I have put up my dukes. I have a problem when people aren’t in the forgiveness mood pretty soon after a conflict. I said it. You said it. I’m sorry. I don’t love you any less. Let’s move on. Naturally, it doesn’t always work that way and resentment can develop.

Just like not all people like me. Maybe you have had this feeling. Although, I don’t care if you don’t like me (well maybe just a little I do), especially if you’ve been a bully. It’s not a good feeling either.

The Pollyanna in me wants everyone to like each other and to have that likeness returned. I guess that would be nirvana, but I haven’t been there. All I know is there are some unhappy and insecure people around. Whatever . . . they’re not going anywhere.

Call Centers

Am I the only one who would like to avoid making these calls.? Companies all over the place have them. I empathize with people who work in these centers. Some work from home; others slog daily into their cubicle adjacent to another cubicle. Some get weekends off. I imagine it’s tough work — trying to help people all day and being nice as well.

Of course, I am already in a mood wondering whether they can fix my problem. Part of that frustration is wondering whether I will be able to understand their way of speaking English. Just yesterday I called my bank in Colorado who holds my credit card. The very first person I talked to I couldn’t understand. Nice thing to do — she passed me along to another person, which means I was waiting in line again. Whatever, I’m not being helped. My immediacy issues are being tested. If anything, of late, I should realize what’s really important in the world. I probably can live without a credit card.

Amaryllis I am trying to grow.

Spring is here.

I can’t believe it is here: spring/summer 2024 has sprung. Color me maroon. As I grow older, I become less tolerant of the pollen in the air and bright sunshine in my eyes and on my face. A shot glass of sunscreen — hmm. I don’t like getting in a hot car that has been sitting in a parking lot for 15 minutes — slight exaggeration. Let’s say 20!

Not to discount people with availability to pools, lakes, and beaches. I admit I wouldn’t mind a few days at a beach.

Spring/summer seems to last for months. I feel cheated by the shortage of fall/winter days. I guess I can blame it on climate change. Again, one more thing beyond avoidance.

Bye for now

Enjoy all the sun, fun, and socialization you can stand. Pay your bills. Watch out for tics. I’m guilty of watching too much TV, so I’ll continue watching and complaining. I’ll also be waiting for fall.

Thank you Dear Reader for reading. It is really appreciated.

❤️ Namaste ❤️

Thank you to those of you who have sent well wishes and healing thoughts to Paul. He is doing remarkably well. If you didn’t know he has this condition, you wouldn’t know it if you were to see him. We’re just plugging along. Love and Peace to you.