Coming Attractions

Friday is often my most productive day, which could be a little discouraging if I let it.

My weekend is free and I hope to add at least two or three new pieces here. If focusing on the past felt scary, or an invitation to illness, then focusing on the changes I've made appears to be energizing and uplifting. And who can't use more of that, right?

Here are some of the topics I want to delve into in the next several days:

• When I was ill I lived behind a mask. Have I come out from behind that mask, or have I simply traded it in for a brighter one?

• I'm making plans for a brief vacation in the fall. The years of illness left a very clear mark on my ability to make plans, particularly social ones. How can I make myself aware of that influence, and address it when it shows up?

• I also want to read, think, and write about the ideas in "A Handbook for Constructive Living."

• One topic that is a little further out on the horizon is coping mechanisms - the ones I used to rely on, the maladaptions I've tried to eliminate, new techniques I might need. Somewhere in relationship to those issues is a discussion of money and depression.
  

The counter is beginning to rise faster than my own obsessive checking could account for - someone is reading this, which is a truly amazing feeling. Thanks for that gift. If this is the end of your week, I hope you have a chance to put your feet up and sip a glass of iced tea. For me, it will be a scotch and water. But I'm looking forward to it, because I'll be able to be here.