Personal Reflections
One downside of being a writer is that wrist and finger pain can become a recurring issue. I do experience little episodes from time to time, but usually, rest, stretching, a gentle massage, and Salonpas patches do the trick. This time, though, the pain kept getting worse, and everything felt eerily tight.
The diagnosis urgent care gave me? Tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Thankfully, these conditions are temporary, but that doesn't make them any less annoying. How come whenever we want to rest, we are too busy, but when we have zero desire to rest and are enjoying busyness, we are forced to relax? The urgent care team reminded me of things I already knew but clearly needed to hear again: ice, rest, pain medication (which, unfortunately, did absolutely nothing for me this time), and a properly set-up ergonomic workstation.
Am I the only one who looks at ergonomic workstation diagrams and gets completely confused? Thank goodness my family understands this stuff better than I do!
Normally, I leave urgent care feeling intense regret about going and "wasting the money," but this time, the doctor did three things for me that I really needed.
1. Gave me an orthopedic referral. This will help me develop a better plan of action and check in on things like arthritis and osteoporosis, which run in my family.
2. Recommended more frequent use of dictation software. The idea is to reduce my typing by dictating my rough drafts and saving my fingers for editing. I’ve actually done this before and quite enjoyed it! (True story: I’ve written a few stories this way from the bathtub.) I’m not sure why I drifted away from the practice, but I have a feeling bringing it back will benefit me in more ways than one.
3. Gave me a reminder that really spoke to me. The doctor said, “The modern workplace is designed in a way that forgets that we are not machines; we are human.”
We are not machines. We are human.
Man, that hit me on so many levels.
It’s not just about being more mindful of how I care for my body. It’s also about the way my self-imposed (and sometimes externally imposed) perfectionism makes me feel like I have to get everything right.
The idea of a machine suggests consistency, precision, and perfection, but even machines have their imperfections and mess-ups! So why do I hold myself to a standard of perfection that even machines can’t always meet?
That reminder made me think about learning, growing, and embracing my own human voice in a world where some people will love my style and others won’t, and that’s okay.
If anything about this week’s experience resonates with you, or reminds you of the importance of rest, self-love, and letting yourself be human, that will really make me feel good as reaffirms that this time, which could have felt like a waste, was recycled into something beautiful.
This Week in the Arts
I will be publishing three pieces in my JOLT Column including:
Review: Olympia Little Theatre’s production “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery”
Sydney sees the Orchestra: a review of the Olympia Chamber Orchestra’s “Journey” concert
Sneak peek: Ballet Northwest presents Ballet Victoria’s “Alice in Wonderland”
I will be publishing these articles under Rachel’s Choice:
Review: Liverpool Legands Complete Beatles Experience
To read my articles as they come out, I invite you to subscribe to The JOLT News and follow me on Instagram and Facebook, then invite a friend to do the same! :)
If you read a story that inspires you, I invite you to share it with others and help spread the word about the incredible things happening in the Thurston County Arts Community.
Other Fun Things This Week
For the Record: Michael Jackson’s Thriller
Getting in ‘The Zone’: ‘Living Doll,’ Season 5, Episode 6. Watch in advance.
Event: Intentional Vinyl with Rachel Benton and The Dare to Love Project
Coming Up:
A Veterans Day Special Listening Event: Glenn Miller’s Original Recordings. November 11th @ 6:30pm
Word searches, fidgets, and coloring available during listening session. Post vinyl discussion will follow.
More event information can be found here.
Another Special Event
I’m partnering with The Dare to Love Project for a special one-night-only Halloween event: Live - In the Zone!
Come watch a specially curated selection of spooky Twilight Zone episodes on Halloween starting @ 6pm!
Click here to view more details.
Tip Jar
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All tips are greatly appreciated!
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