Deadlines and Insanity

The sign in the picture on the left probably makes no sense to the majority of people.  For those of us who dabble in astrology--for both fun and guidance--Mercury Retrograde is a period of time when we tend to obsess about backing up our computer, making sure our cellphone is charged, our car has been recently serviced, and anything else related to communications is in top notch condition.

That doesn't help much, does it?  Okay, Wikipedia has a good scientific explanation, but here's an astrological one.

Since learning about Mercury (which happens to be my ruling planet, astrologically speaking), I treat it as I do Kansas tornadoes.  I'm not afraid of them, but I have respect.  I've seen Mercury Retrograde periods that hit me hard, and I've experienced others that were hardly noticeable.  The current one, which will end on November 26, is of the former.  This one seems to want to slam me back against a wall and keep me there.  I should have known it would happen.  I'm on a revision deadline.

This retrograde period began this past Tuesday.  My week started going bad on Monday.  I made three trips to Walmart that morning between 7:30 and 9:30, and another trip that afternoon.  Only one of those to pick up cupcakes for my granddaughter's birthday to take to school was planned.  Tuesday my water heater went out.  Wednesday (yesterday) the guy who was putting in a new one had a heart attack.  (He's okay.)  I should be revising a chapter a day.  I started work on chapter 5 on Monday.  I finished it last night.  A new guy has taken over the water heater job as I type.  And to think that cupcakes and water heaters, lost shoes and coats has nothing to do with communication!  Ah, but they are all affecting my "communications" and my muse.

The urge to run away to a deserted island has been strong.  Unfortunately, that island probably wouldn't have internet or even electricity so I could use a computer of any kind.  Still, disappearing...and letting my family cope on their own...is more than tempting.  Too bad it isn't possible.

All that brings me to the fact that I didn't even realize I'd missed Motivation Monday and Writing Wednesday.  Let's face it.  We're all human, and life sometimes throws us curves.  Let's make that often throws us curves.  When it does, we do what we can to deal with them and keep moving on.  The moving might be slow, it might not be thorough, but it's movement.  Either than or insanity.

Here's hoping your experience with Mercury this month is an quiet and easy one.  As for me, I'll just keep trying to find minutes to steal, because I will meet my deadline.

Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you. - Denis Waitley