Sometimes I get embarrassed for reasons that make no sense.
When I had ants in Florida that I couldn’t get rid of with any amount of cleaning and Terro bait, I thought it was because I wasn’t diligent enough in cleaning my counters.
When I got my hernias, I suspected that I worked out too hard, didn’t control my inter-abdominal pressure correctly when exercising or blew these out when I had suffered severe constipation during my time off grid in the desert.
When the termite cloud showed up this week, my first thought was that I must have neglected to remove water damaged soffit somewhere and that attracted termites.
When I hurt my foot a few weeks ago, I was certain it was from overuse.
I tend to look toward myself as the source of my problems. It’s my attempt to figure out how to identify the cause of my problems and hopefully prevent a recurrence.
It’s likely I tend to do this because I’ve always been a person who accepts responsibility and takes action.
And maybe, it’s because I have some lingering Catholic guilt, unresolved childhood trauma, etc.
In the examples above, my behavior might have contributed to the problems or not.
- According to this study, 15% of US men my age get inguinal hernias and “factors that were unrelated to inguinal hernia included nonrecreational and recreational physical activity, constipation or bowel movement frequency“. So despite what I read elsewhere on “reputable” sites, I was likely just one of the unlucky 15%.
- I learned that Termites in NC crawl up from the ground underneath your home through any opening – as small as a crack in the cement slab from settling or a gap around the pipes entering your home. They’ll then feast on anything wood in the home. Rotting wood can attract them, but any home the has any wood is susceptible to getting termites. NC is listed a state with a high risk for termites.
- It turns out I have extremely high arches in my feet. My orthopedic surgeon told me this is the major cause of my plantar fasciitis and the acute tendon injury I recently experienced. Overuse contributed of course. Then I learned my sister has suffered from plants fasciitis for 20 years due to her high arches and she doesn’t do anywhere near the level of activity that I do. So once again, I was just born “lucky” with high arches.
- The bighead ants in Florida, are unstoppable. They have colonies everywhere and are attracted to any water or food source in homes. My exterminator said the only option is to create a poison barrier monthly around the house exterior and interior to keep them from overwhelming the home. Otherwise, any food particle would be covered by hundreds of ants once they discovered it.
I learned similar lessons earlier in life.
- Sometimes you lose your job even though you’ve done nothing wrong. Economic conditions, the stock market and corporate strategy take precedence over any individual workers performance.
- Some people get sick or die young even thought they exercise, diet and take care of their health. Environment, genes, childhood, finances all factor into this.
- Sometimes good people get screwed over by people, institutions and life in general while some a$$holes make out spectacularly.
We all have to live with the hand we’re dealt.
It’s not always our fault.