A complete state over nothing
Do you ever have moments where you work yourself up into a complete state over nothing at all?
I do. I am blessed – or cursed, depending on how you want to view it – with an active imagination, so I can get from idle thought to complete terror in 30 seconds.
On Saturday, I was out doing my training for the Oxfam 100km, planning to blaze a trail around the Miramar Peninsula. Only to discover there was a triathlon on, so I took to the Skyline track and Northern Walkway instead.
Now I wasn’t mentally prepared to take on these reasonably lonely tracks. They meander along lots of farmland, which judging by the stunning views is quite a long way from anywhere. (I had a very nice view of the South Island.) I’ve written before of the potential danger I face as a woman alone on these tracks.
And because I hadn’t prepared myself, it would have been easy to let my imagination run away with me and conjure up scenes of horror. In fact, it was tough not to. And I can’t even blame it on too many scary movies, because I don’t watch them – it’s that overactive imagination again.
If I can scare myself over nothing at all, supernatural movies are emphatically not a good idea. I’m such a big girl’s blouse.
A scary movie can haunt me for weeks. Something as simple as the fridge coming on in the middle of the night takes on Hitchcock undertones. When I was about 10 or 11 and started reading Agatha Christie murder mysteries, I had to put the book outside my bedroom door before I went to sleep. I’m not sure why it was better in the hall than my bedroom, but it made me feel better.
But back to my Saturday walk. It was a lovely day in Wellington and I saw other intrepid walkers sporadically along the way. I thought this made me safer – until I started wondering what would happen if one of those other lone walkers was harbouring dark thoughts. Perhaps I was better off in the days when I didn’t see anyone else?
See what I mean about an overactive imagination being a curse?
To be coldly logical about it, the biggest danger I probably face alone on track for 10 hours is talking aloud to myself and losing my nodding acquaintance with sanity. I like to conduct imaginary conversations with non-existent people in my head to pass the time.
I don’t know if I should admit that as it may make you question my sanity, but you quite possibly do anyway since I spent a perfectly good Saturday walking for 10 hours.
I have these imaginary conversations on long bike rides too, until the fact I am in pain and cross pushes everything else out of my mind.
What about you? Does your imagination create problems out of nothing for you? Or do you think I’m a little bit deranged?
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Blessed with the female mind i think we all suffer from over-thinking things. My method - stop and put yourselves in a males shoes and think the same situation through. Much less worries =)
Fortunately as a writer my over-active imagination earns me money.
What you are describing is anxiety - cut down on your caffienne intake, learn some relaxation techniques and check out some cognitive therapy.
@ paul - phooey. Isn't anxiety. Is totally normal for a woman with an overactive imagination.
@ Ann - I have long chat's with two voices in head *giggle* and according to my girl friends they do same thing. And I haven't watched scary movies for years cause I get nightmares. last one I saw was 'the Decent' and I am NEVER going in a cave or small dark space again *shudder* As a kid there was a long period when I was convinced dinosaurs might be in the bush (Jurassic Park had just come out) - that made me run faster *lol*
The Italian politician, Alessandra Mussolini, (Benito Mussolini's granddaughter), called for public health warnings for the B-grade horror movie Paranormal Activity.
How's THAT for working yourself up into a complete state over nothing at all? lol
The truth is, we have nothing to fear, but the sky falling on our heads :-)
Cheer up. You are probably less atractive to the opposite sex than you think.
Didn't you worry not too many weeks ago that you might get attacked by cows on such a walk?
I'd suggest you start carrying either a friend with you, or some variety of shotgun, to ease your fears.
That happens to me when I'm riding my bike on the roads or drving in the car and there are some close calls to me crashing or people crashing into me.
My mind starts drifting into what the accident will be like, how beat up I'll be, what the hospital will be like, the nurses, what my family and friends will think and who will visit in the hospital and I also imagine what life would be like after my imaginary injury.
That's what I do, don't know if it's 100% normal but I pretty much nearly died in a car crash 3 years ago so maybe I'm just excessively scared of the whole thing?
With you on the hyper active imagination...I tried to cure it once by pulling an all night Stephen King A Thon....yeah, it so didnt work....
Sanity? I dont think I've been introduced to that person.....
Im moving into my very own house in a months time and my parter works away. im already freaking myself out being in a strange house.. what if the neighbours are secret serial killers or something!? I made my man go out and buy deadbolts today.....
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I also have an overactive imagination. When home alone I think every noise outside is a potential threat and start dreaming of horror movie scenarios and find it hard to get to sleep, I feel like a little kid! I think it stems from my mother who is a big wuss and sleeps with a knife beside her when my dad is away.