LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Curled up on the couch, wrapped in a comfy, emerald blanket, was me, fiercely learning how to relax on Sunday.  It was the biggest struggle of my entire week.

Most weekends I’m running from one town to the next, visiting family and volunteering relentlessly and faithfully.  But recently after having loved ones embolden my decision to cut the extra ties outside of work to assist in the rejuvenation of my mental health, I’ve found that relaxing is just as taxing.

After church my mind was set free and my agenda was just as well.  Only the grumbling in my stomach said otherwise.  So I whipped up some pasta with seared mushrooms smothered in tomato sauce.  An hour flew by, and a book resting upon my coffee table began ordering my attention.  Honestly, I’ve been working on the silly book for about a month now.  

With that in mind, I set my goal to complete the literary work of brilliance in that one sitting.  I should have known that my goal would soon be challenged.  Fifty pages later, I receive a couple phone calls and several text messages.  It seems everyone that is busy during the week also finds time to offer freely on Sundays.

I retorted shortly and dove my face back into the story of heroism and victors.  Fifty more pages later, my eyelids began to slide south.  “No, not now!”  I thought exasperatedly, the girl in the story had just lost the only thing she had hope for.  I wasn’t about to give up on her now either, she was my only hope to feel productive.

Eventually, I allowed my eyes to rest because it’s a rarity that I let myself nap anymore.  Napping and sweet relaxation began to ensue.  It went swell for an hour, until I woke up in a sweaty stupor on the sticky leather couch.  I suppose the sun’s rays decided to wreak havoc upon my happiness, while I angrily trudged to the AC controls wishing I lived in Alaska.  

Taking in a deep breath, I laid back down to re-start my unwinding.  I dwindled back into a deep sleep, so deep that I began to dream about my travels overseas.  The beautiful Alps passed by me on a speeding train, fields in Italy were flowering — and a woman began to ferociously follow me.  Next thing I knew an angry mob of special agents from the recent film “HANNA” were attacking me and shooting from all sides.  

With a gasp of air and my heart beating twice as hard, I awoke.  So much for getting any rest.  I pushed aside my ridiculous goal of relaxing and chose to build a canvas to paint on, edit photos, clean the entire house and re-arrange the furniture.  When someone asks me to take a break anymore, I might as well laugh in their face.  I don’t believe I have one relaxed bone in my body.

Unless of course someone offered me to trade in the emerald blanket for a sandy beach beside a sapphire sea complete with a cool breeze.



mmccrarey@sentinel-echo.com