I just went to see "Margot at the Wedding," with my old friend David, my first collegial date when I arrived at grad school. He's living over in the East Bay now, and is plugging away at his hours at a brand spanking new counseling center. We'd been trying to arrange dinner for weeks, and gotten hung up on scheduling, and then on illnesses. I barely made it, as a flu found it's way into my nasal passages, and laid me out all yesterday. It seems to be passing through quickly, but I had to cancel a few appointments yesterday and this morning.
So, coming out of the movie, I was struck with an impulse that also struck me some time back, after watching "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill," which was to limit myself to adult entertainment. I think that fizzled because it was so open ended, so I've decided, as an experiment, to make December '07 "The Adult Month."
Today was a mixed start to The Adult Month. I meditated in the morning and read my teacher's EMDR book in the bath, then asked Heather out for a walk and hot cocoa. Adult. Then, when she shooed me off for another hour of sleep, I played a video game we got for the new Xbox 360, which captured my attention for an hour and a half. Not adult. Not bad, just not adult. Then we walked and went to visit a sculptural exhibit at the De Young. Adult. Then we got into a heated fight for an hour and a half (or more). Not so adult. Then we sort of made up. Adult! Then we did an EMDR session, which, while Adult, was not well-advised. With all the transference and countertransference, it was a bit like trying to pass a tennis ball through a Velcro tube. More fighting ensued, but pretty quickly resolved--Adult. Then dinner and some talk, a little gaming, then off to dinner with David. Dinner was about catching up and talking about our practices and thoughts about therapy (Adult), then into a dark but Adult movie. And home to write, not watch TV or vege on the Xbox. Adult!
I'm really kind of curious what this sort of limited choosing will do. What happens when your choices are pre-oriented in this way? We'll see and I'll keep you informed.
