It’s a question I’ve asked
myself a few times over the past week or so.
Almost completely unrelated to me actually making chocolate chip cookies
from a refrigerated tube of cookie dough.
Rather it’s in response to the completion of a stressful project, and
the sudden lull afterwards.
I used to experience a similar feeling
at university, particularly following the completion of end of semester
exams. After such an intense period of
study and stress, in which I was scrambling to get things done, having them
always at the back of my mind, there followed a sudden influx of free
time. But instead of enjoying this
newfound opportunity to engage in frivolous pastimes, my brain would react
differently. Shouldn’t you be
baking? I.e. shouldn’t you be studying?
The question comes from what
some refer to as the ‘golden age’ of The
Simpsons (around seasons 5 and 6), in an episode called ‘Fear of Flying’. It’s probably one of my favourite episodes
because really, who can’t relate to a fear of flying? (Even if it is only a
little, healthy amount of fear) Marge
is having a bit of a breakdown caused by anxiety over her fear of flying. As a result, she starts behaving in a number
of unusual, uncharacteristic ways, including baking at all hours of the
night. One night, Homer is awoken by the
sound of banging and leans out the window to see Marge on the roof in her night
gown and slippers, fixing tiles on the roof.
To this he responds by calling up to her:
It’s that feeling that’s
almost like guilt, that I should be working, that the things I am doing to
relax are inherently wrong because my brain has become used to that intense
pace. A kind of inverse version of
procrastination.
I suppose in a day or so I’m sure
it’ll go away once the growing fear of my next deadline kicks in.
No comments:
Post a Comment