While I’m reading, a sentence will grab me and force me to stop. I pay tribute to other authors by sharing their Damn Fine Sentences with you. Then I recount a memory the words bring up for me. It’s about how books connect with your life.
******
"I distrust happy people."
———Chloe Chun Seim
——--Churn
My therapist asked, “Are you under any stress?”
“Heck, no. Everything’s wonder––. Wait. Yes.” I slumped into the couch. “A friend bought ten copies of my book. Another bought five. They’re writing reviews that are really moving. It’s stressing me out. It’s confusing. Sometimes I go blank.”
“Positive affect disorder,” he said.
Or was it positive affect deregulation? Or dehydration? Or deceleration?
“Negative comes in at a different voltage than positive. You’re wired for negative. Too much good short-circuits the system.”
I perked up. My brain loved to learn new things about itself. Cause and effect lined up. Tissues buried deep within my body relaxed. Electrical currents switched pathways. Rewiring had already begun.
Still, it could take a while for the electricians who manage my gray matter to complete the upgrade. Here’s a warning: On occasion you might rush toward me with open arms, face backlit with positive affect. You might smile at me and exclaim, “What a magnificent achievement.” (And I certainly hope that comes to pass.) If such a scenario plays out, please don’t be alarmed if my eyes glaze over. Or speech slurs. Or my dreadlocks whip around my head like live wires. I’m just short-circuiting.
Watch out for sparks, and back away until the power is restored.
******
"I distrust happy people."
———Chloe Chun Seim
——--Churn
My therapist asked, “Are you under any stress?”
“Heck, no. Everything’s wonder––. Wait. Yes.” I slumped into the couch. “A friend bought ten copies of my book. Another bought five. They’re writing reviews that are really moving. It’s stressing me out. It’s confusing. Sometimes I go blank.”
“Positive affect disorder,” he said.
Or was it positive affect deregulation? Or dehydration? Or deceleration?
“Negative comes in at a different voltage than positive. You’re wired for negative. Too much good short-circuits the system.”
I perked up. My brain loved to learn new things about itself. Cause and effect lined up. Tissues buried deep within my body relaxed. Electrical currents switched pathways. Rewiring had already begun.
Still, it could take a while for the electricians who manage my gray matter to complete the upgrade. Here’s a warning: On occasion you might rush toward me with open arms, face backlit with positive affect. You might smile at me and exclaim, “What a magnificent achievement.” (And I certainly hope that comes to pass.) If such a scenario plays out, please don’t be alarmed if my eyes glaze over. Or speech slurs. Or my dreadlocks whip around my head like live wires. I’m just short-circuiting.
Watch out for sparks, and back away until the power is restored.
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