Why is it that when you are trying to get something IN your head you can’t bring it to mind to save your life (Ok, I have never actually had a life-threatening time when I needed to remember something, but I have had times when I really really wanted to remember something and couldn’t.)
On the opposite note, when you want to get something OUT of your mind, it just won’t leave. Why is that?!?
A few nights ago Owen woke up from a nightmare. (He said Jabba the Hut was trying to catch him and Jack.) Owen has never actually seen the Star Wars movie that has Jaba in it (or he would probably know that that particular baddie was getting nowhere fast…) Anyway, this dream threw Owen for a loop. I think it was the first nightmare that he has ever had that he remembers.
Since then Owen has had a hard time falling asleep. He is really worried about the Wampa Ice Creature from Hoth getting him. (Here is a photo in case you are not a Star Wars fanatic, dear reader.)![eu_sm[1]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_cfalXTv_9Ng/TKLYiH0uaKI/AAAAAAAABpo/ni90wp_HtyU/s1600-h/eu_sm%5B1%5D%5B2%5D.jpg "eu_sm[1]")
Unfortunately, Owen has seen the movie with this creature in it. The few seconds that it is on screen is plenty to get a young mind going.
Eric has suggested that Owen try to think of other things to take his mind off of the creature. He and Owen have brainstormed many things to think about, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Several times in the evening Owen comes down saying that the creature returns to his mind even while he is trying to think of other things.
I have re-tucked Owen in, offering more thoughts for his head, suggested he go to the bathroom or get a drink of water. We have tried turning more lights on. These ideas have worked for a few minutes, but haven’t really solved much. Poor thing just finally falls asleep from exhaustion.
Tonight I was looking through my cell photos that I took today, seeing if something hits me for a blog idea. I came across this photo that I took while in the art supply storage room at Owen’s school today. I had been kneeling on the ground writing notes to myself and the darned thing ran right towards me! I quickly stood up and it realized it’s error (opps, NOT a stationary object!) and ran back against the wall.
I am not sure why I took a photo of a spider since I really just wanted to forget it existed. But now that I have seen it again, I can’t get the darned thing out of my brain. Every time I feel my hair hit my chin or neck, I imagine the spider there. My pants just rubbed my toes and I freaked out. I know that I am going imagine spiders in by bed and that I am going to dream about spiders tonight. I am not looking forward to sleep!
If anyone out there has any other ideas on how to release mental pictures from one’s head, feel free to pass them along to me and Owen…
PS. If you have creepy-crawly feelings now, um sorry.
One thought is that it's like getting a song stuck in your head - the only way to get it out is to sing it all the way to the end. The harder a person tries to avoid something, the more it ends up in their face. But, it helps a lot to face it head on. So, you might talk the scenario through all the way to the end... So the creature tried to chase Owen, but then Daddy came crashing through the forest and beat him up, and carried Owen away to safety and they went to Ben and Jerrys for ice cream! Or, the big bad spider attacked the fair maiden, but then a handsome prince (alas - he looks familiar) rushed to rescue her and smashed the spider into oblivion and carried her away to live happily ever after! PS - This is why I don't write books for a living - they would all end the same way - I just love happy endings :) PSS - I know it surprises you that people actually pay me for this stuff :) Thanks for the opportunity to redeem myself after not seeing the pig snout :)
ReplyDeleteperhaps listening to quiet music while drifting off to sleep or listening to a book on tape might be enough of a distraction?
ReplyDeletebook recommendation: GO AWAY BIG GREEN MONSTER
good luck.