Being a girl.

So I've been having dreams lately about being back in Hebron, ND. For those that dno't know me, Hebron is a town of about 800 people in peaceful rural North Dakota, and it's where I grew up. Usually when I dream about a Hebron, it centers around the public swimming pool, which is where I spent numerous summers with little parent supervision, free to make best friends for a day, and where I had to decide whether I wanted to take my "deep end" test at some point (swimming back and forth ((about 25 yards)) 10 times with the reward of using the DIVING BOARD!!!). it was also my first job (lifeguard alert), and also the first job where i messed up (left the water pump on after adding chemicals).

Anyway again, lately I have been having dreams about my K-12 school, and more specifically, about a current graduate school classmate of mine challenging me in gym class. What? I know. Apparently I take relationships and rejection, conflict, etc. much more seriously and personally than others around me. My real-life conflicts had invaded my dreams and I had started to wonder whether I should being seeing a professional---my stress was disrupting my ability to focus. Why WHY WHY can't everyone just be perfect? And reasonable? WHYYYyyyyyyYYYYyyyYy? *looks to the ceiling with crunched up fists*

Well, I have come up with a new coping mechanism. Instead of asking myself, god, why don't people comprehend simple communication tactics? or act like adults instead of third graders or scorned ex-girlfriends when dealing with conflict? or accept basic rules of order in the classroom? Well, friends, it goes a little something like this. I have taken it upon myself to diagnose others with multiple-personality disorder.

Drastic? Not if it all stays in my head! That way, when someone does something I consider rude (and directed at me) I simply say to myself, that's not MY friend, and it's not MY fault. it's...JACKIE. that evil dopplegangor Jackie. So i put all my stress onto that evil dopplegangor instead of taking it on myself.

What? You've seen this on Full House when Danny Tanner's evil twin MANNY TANNER started appearing in episodes? Well, I only steal from the best.
Manny Tanner