Seeking Relief From the Impending Doom in My Head

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Susan Dromey Heeter's got her bike and her bell.

By Susan Dromey Heeter, Joyful Musings

My friend, Trish, refers to herself as a “relief seeking missile.”  I, too, love the feel of relief, the joy of that emotion that takes me out of my angst, my worry, my dread. And this week, I muse joyfully on that which soothes, that which calms, that which provides relief to my impending doom of thought.

It soothes me to fill up my gas tank, literally.  When the needle is on full, there is a sense of accomplishment, of glory in knowing I can make it to my destination. At this moment, my ’93 Volvo’s gas gauge is on the fritz, but I write down the date of my fill-up and attempt to stay aware of the necessity of fuel. Unfortunately, the odometer in my workhorse of a car does not function, so I do need to keep pretty good records for fear that I’ll be on the side of the road.  Perhaps it’s time to invest in a new car, but truly? No car payments and a car that simply goes from point A to point B is lovely relief right now.  Simple always spells relief.

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Is that Sir Luc with Susan Dromey Heeter?

Tea is calming, soothing relief, a respite in any calm of a storm. But, please, do not offer me any herbal teas or those of the medicinal ilk.  I’m a straight up black Irish Barry’s Tea drinking gal, anything fruity or herbal in a cup of tea ought not to be mentioned in polite company.  I am entirely Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation fame when it comes to tea. Strongly brewed, poured from a pot, loads of milk and nothing else.  And if you’ve put tea in a microwave? Well, I honestly don’t think we can be friends.  At this very moment, I need relief from the idea of microwaved tea. Oh, the horrors.

Luc, my lovely canine buddy, is relief.  He’s always ready, always available for a chat, a walk, a snack.  He’s never got appointments, never is late, never puts me on hold.  He is complete and glorious fur relief, a walking ball of soothing joy.  Alas, I am entirely relieved when I remember a bag on one of our sojourns. That, in and of itself, is a relief for fear of the repercussions of leaving any part of Luc behind.

To vote is to feel relief, to be part of, to know I’ve had something to do with the political process, to celebrate my voice as an American woman.

To eat Spicy Nacho Doritos while binge watching “The Americans” is entirely soothing, entire relief.  I work to avoid that lethal combination, but once in a while? Nothing better. I don’t even need a bowl for the chips and encourage Luc to eat the crumbs that land on my prostrated self.  This relief, while not entirely healthy nor admirable, is one of the loveliest.

The 60 degree temperature I am surrounded with right now after last week’s myriad of sweat filled days and nights? Entire relief. Thank you, world, that you, heavens for this turn of events.  It is lovely to open windows and doors, feel the breeze, put on a sweater. Ah, the sweet relief of upcoming fall.

Finally, it’s always a relief to muse joyfully and to share my scribes with you, dear Joyful Musers.  I celebrate my relief seeking missile of a self that, you, too, find relief in this lovely day, in a lovely cup of tea, in the joy of a pet, in a binge watch with carbs, in a tank filled with gas, in a vote that counts.

Susan Dromey Heeter, a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white, debuts her new column “Joyful Musings” at InDepthNH.org. Dromey Heeter is a secondary Spanish Teacher at Spaulding High School in Rochester and the mother of two teenage daughters.  Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.  Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards. She also writes about thrift shopping and all things frugal  in a column called “Budget Vogue” for the New Hampshire Union Leader.

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