What do you promise…
…when you’re bargaining for your life? We’ve all been there, right? Some life-threatening medical attack, an accident, a huge scare, or—god forbid—a medical disaster in your immediate family? Maybe intense pain?
Whatever the cause, out come the plea bargains with the Universe, God, or whoever you worship.
Last night, I had a killer asthma attack. Nothing much new, and it’s not a big deal except when you’re in the middle of it. Drowning is sure not the way I want to go, that’s for sure. There were a few moments when no air would go in or out, and I mentally told the universe, “I promise I will be a better writer tomorrow.”
And then, when I managed to cough up some of the mucus, I wondered what my friends would promise.
But first, there are two great things happening today. First, Susan Helene Gottfried has started a Women on Wednesday Meme in order to celebrate women authors. (I’ll be joining in after November is over!) Second, for the first time, a charity for sexual abuse survivors has made the finals of L’Oreal’s Women of Worth contest. Please consider giving Shannon Lambert your vote: the prize is $25,000 to the winner’s most charitable cause, and sexual violence is too common and too prevalent to be swept under the carpet as often as it is.
So what are your plea bargains, your promises under duress? What would your characters’ promises be?
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats and husband. She spends summers camped near her niece, because, well, her niece is her favorite girl on the planet.
Mostly I just promise to be a better person. I pretty much fail miserably at it.
LOL, yeah. It’s tough. Honestly, we’re already doing the best we can, pretty much, given our life and our circumstances.
I make promises often for my writing to be better, but I don’t make plea bargains. I think I have such a solid idea that I’m healthy, because I was so healthy when I was younger, that I “see” myself as healthy, no matter what happens. Even when I had cancer. I think I’ll be okay, that it’s not my time yet.
I’m glad you coughed up the mucous. That must be awful. I’m off to the L’Oreal sit to vote for Shannon. Thanks for posting it.
Wow, Edie. I wish I had that. Even when I was very young, I was always tired. I wasn’t sickly, but I’d just get tired beyond what was normal, and when it overcame me in my twenties… I don’t know. I don’t even know what it feels like to be completely healthy, anymore.
Asthma must be scary. Mary has often remarked that she’d rather go any way besides drowning.
As far as bargains with the universe though, I can’t think of any time I’ve tried to make any. Maybe I haven’t confronted enough “exciting” situations or maybe I just don’t have the sense that there’s anything there to bargain with.
Well, long ago, in the morning, I often promised myself I’d never have another drink again!
Eric, yeah. I still break down and cry during, but I’m getting better. Last night was a bad one, so not so much, lol. It’s way beyond anything I ever imagined asthma to be before I had it.
I’ve been there! LOL! I haven’t touched Southern Comfort for sixteen years, after a night of Long Island Iced Teas. Whew. I can still taste that… taste in my mouth, and boy does it make me nauseous!
LOL–I’m like that about Amaretto. Just thinking about it makes me cringe.
Oooh, I love Amaretto! But what’s funny, is before that episode, I loved Southern Comfort. Amazing how that sticks with you, lol!
As an adult, I’ve never made those types of promises. I feel like if my word isn’t good enough when I’m at my best, what makes it more valid when I’m at my worst? That’s the same reason I stopped making new year’s resolutions — I try to be the best person I can year-round, not because the year changes.
I hope you don’t have another attack. That sounds really scary.
LOL, Melanie. I think it’s just an instinct when you get past your breaking point, when you’ll beg and plead for anything to make it stop. Reason has long since left the building.
It doesn’t make it more valid, in fact the opposite. It’s why torture doesn’t work. (Asthma is pretty darned close to table-tilting torture, if you think about it.) In the moment, you’ll say anything to make it stop, promise anything to please your torturer. Which makes it a scary thought, because evidently I believe the only thing the universe finds worthwhile enough to keep me alive for is my writing, lol.
Hence my curiosity: That moment says a lot about a characters’ or a persons’ character.
Okay, were you eating dairy or wheat or what? Do I have to drive out to Arizona and kick your butt?
(yadda, yadda, nag nag nag…)
Hope you are feeling better today. I would have thought that leaving the swamps of Ohio for the drier air out there would have been more healthful, or whatever, for that condition. Hmm…
God, Elizabeth, you DO! I’m ashamed of myself. We picked up a pizza. *sigh* About 70% of the time, a couple puffs of the inhaler and it’s no problem, but that other 30%…
I need to stop cold turkey. I have since told Glenn that he is to stop suggesting cheese and dairy foods for dinner.
The air IS wonderful here. It’s a balm to the inside of my lungs, definitely. And I hear it’s a cumulative effect. That’s hearsay, but if it’s true, the longer I stay, the better it should get.
That’s a good question. What would my characters promise. Hmmm…
You take care of yourself and thanks for the WOW mention. It’s off to a slow start, but I’m so swamped at Win a Book today that I haven’t been able to really talk it up the way I wanted to. And saying I’m swamped at Win a Book is an understatement.
I want to hug you; I’ve got asthma, as you know. I can close my eyes and be there with you.
Yeah, I know you do, Susan! Being without health insurance, you were a big help in helping me learn to somewhat control it. Feel less alone. All that. Thank you!
I meant to do more for WOW, too, but with NaNo, the asthma attack was the last straw, lol. I will in December!
“So what are your plea bargains, your promises under duress?” I would promise anything and everything for Gabrielle.
Of course! Yeah.
I’ve never had an asthma attack like you describe, but I have had them (exercise induced asthma, in the middle of a pool) and they are scary. Glad you are okay now.
I once thought I had a very serious illness that would kill me off ina few years. I didn’t exactly plea bargain with the universe, but I went through a phase where I was lamenting the lack of time to accomplish things I wanted to get done, such as write the Great American Novel.
Yikes, in the middle of a pool?! That sounds awful! I have allergic asthma.
Yikes. I hear you, Written. It’s not so much I want to write the Great American Novel, but I want to write at least a hundred.
I don’t. I’m an atheist and have been most of my life; before that, my belief in God was in the same category as my belief in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. I don’t believe there’s any metaphysical or super-human entity out there controlling things, and I don’t have a bargaining reflex, even when I’m sick or injured or whatever. It just… doesn’t gel. I know I’m weird — what can I say.
Angie
LOL, Angie! I bargain with Santa Claus a lot, too.
First, I promise not to start a website to celebrate writers based on their gender.
I’m really sorry to hear you had such a serious asthma attack, Natasha. I hate it when tough things happen to nice people. It must have been a terrifying event and I’m glad you made it through. I hope some day they find a cure for asthma and all these other diseases. My mother has crippling arthritis and its awful knowing there’s no cure.
And what have I offered to be pulled out of harm’s way in life or death situations? I ask for mercy and forgiveness. Nobody in their right mind would pardon a guy like me based on merit, least of all the Divine. And when it’s all over, I’ve tried to remember to say thank you.
Ouch! I’m sorry about your mother, Rick. Mercy and forgiveness, that’s something to think about. I try and say thank you every day.
I try, lol…
I learned long ago bargining with God doesn’t work. I lost both my parents when I was still in my 20’s to long illnesses. I bargined a lot back then. Now I just accept. It is what it is.
Ugh, Aimless, I’m sorry! That’s just awful. Life is so unfair. Like you say, it’s a bit useless to bargain.
“I had a killer asthma attack”
Please, please,please tell me you’ve had your H1N1 shot. Seems this flu is really deadly to those w/asthma.
Yikes, Bernita. I don’t have any health insurance. Can I come live with you in Canada, LOL?
I never make promises I KNOW I won’t keep, Spy. LOL. So I just make suggestions.
Sorry ’bout your asthma attack. I had one in my life. I was sorta lucky in that I’ve never had asthma until I hit my 30s. I knew what to expect because my brother went through it. I knew what was happening and what to do about it. Mine was triggered by two kittens.
Wow, that’s scary. For the first year I had them, I thought I was just having panic attacks. I’d had a clue that I had a dairy problem: every time I ate dairy, I’d have walking pneumonia and bronchitis like my mom used to get. (Which was actually triggered by her asthma, it just hadn’t been diagnosed.)
Eventually I figured it out, LOL.
Urk! That sounds horrible! I’m so glad you’re all right. And poor Aimless Writer! I can’t imagine losing both parents at such a young age.
I always make the same bargain with God – “I promise to be a better person.” I really should sneak in a “try” before the “to”.
Me too, Robin! I make a lot of promises like that, LOL.
I sort of discontinued asking for trade-offs. Now I just live my life and hope for the best because I never know what tomorrow will bring (my eye explosion was the deciding factor in this attitude).
Hope your attacks will be fewer and far between!
How is your eye doing, Kath? You haven’t blogged about it in awhile.
I hooked up with a cool pharmacist. He got me taking a bit more anti-histamines preventatively, and I have fewer asthma attacks. So far. Knock on wood.