The Worry Horse Handicap

Adrian Plass once described a number of Worries he had as lining up like horses in a race.

That's what happens with me from time to time.  One minute you're turning 33 and having a great day, the next minute you've got your very own Worry Horse Handicap lining up.

Worry Horse Handicap

Number 1: Haiti and Smith (red cap, blue vest) Jockey: Compassion Australia
It will be a long time before Haiti is rebuilt and the emotional wounds will linger for generations.  It will be weeks or months until I know whether my boy Smith is okay.  I can't believe it happened on my actual birthday, Haiti time.  12 Jan has such happy connotations for me.

Number 2: Troublesome Plumbing (mud-brown cap, mud-brown vest) Jockey: Tamara the Plumber
An all-too-familiar story.  A damp patch of ground turned into a boggy patch of ground, and I called in the plumber.  AGAIN.  This time, the leak wasn't easily found and based on the facts that this is the third such leak and leak number 2 seems to have burst again, we have elected to replace the entire pipe from the water meter to the main intake at the back of the house.  (Can't be done until Monday afternoon.)  A few hours after this, I receive a letter from the council to alert me to the fact that excessive water consumption at my property has been noted, and the possibility of leaking underground pipes should be considered.  Ha.

Number 3: Blood Pressure (green cap and purple vest, for something different) Jockey: Some doctor, hopefully nice
As is common after I've had a baby, my blood pressure is up.  I need to get a new prescription for my medication anyway so now seems like a good time to review the dosage.  Problem is, I don't have a doctor.

Number 4: Lack of a Doctor (yellow cap, pink vest) Jockey, Absolutely No One At All
When I moved last April I made about twenty phonecalls to find a new doctor.  I only had a few criteria:

• 1. A woman would be best, as I tend to stress at the doctor's, sending my BP up.  I am more calm with a woman than a man.
• 2. I had to be able to pronounce her name, and I had to be able to understand her accent.
• 3. She had to be affordable
• 4. She had to be taking new patients.

After months of finding that nobody in my new town fit the bill (usual problem was criterion 4), a newspaper advertisement alerted me to a new female GP starting up in a practice not too far from home.  We hit it off.  I loved her.  Then six months later, she left.  Even the receptionist didn't know where she went - it was a bit sudden even for the practice.  Weird.

So now I need a new one.  And lo, there existeth yet another newspaper advertisement telling of a lady doctor starting a practice.  But do I want to try her, given that the last time I tried this, it ended in tears?  Maybe I should just go to the brusque, incomprehensible and male Dr M at the old practice?

Number 5: Husband Back At Work (Blue cap, green vest) Jockey: Mr de Elba
Oh how I miss having him around the house.  I miss being able to say, "You hold Joseph, I'm going to ..." and I miss the way he could spend hours with Nat and Anna during the holidays.  And I am sad that after 6 days back at work, he's "over it."  Poor me.  Poor Mr de Elba.  Poor us.  Boo hoo.  Sob.

Number 6: Nat's Starting School (and I haven't bought his full uniform yet) (Royal cap, orange and blue vest) Jockey: Nat
Against all advice, seeing Nat in his new school uniform did not make me cry.  Why would it make me cry?  He's been looking forward to this his whole life, always straining for the next stage, always wanting to be a big boy.  No, seeing Nat in his uniform shirt and hat made me so excited and proud.  And it reminded me that the uniform buying is not done.  See - people need pants.  Specifically, Nat needs pants.  And I need to buy them.  Soon.  So, rather than adding this to my Worry Horses, I should be at the shops buying pants.  But I'm not, and WHY? ... Read on.

Number 7:  I Don't Want To Die (from a stroke at a young age) (black cap, black vest) Jockey: Me
It occurs to me that if you have long-term unmanaged high blood pressure, you are at a higher risk of a stroke.  But I don't have long-term unmanaged high blood pressure (see Horse Number 3).  Every time it's a bit high, I go to the doctor (see Horse Number 4) to sort out the right medication that will bring it down to normal.  So once Horse Number 3 is sorted out by Horse Number 4, Horse Number 7 will be scratched.  It's just that in the meantime I don't want to get started on things like Horse Number 6 because I really don't want to have a stroke at the shops.  Which I won't.  Oh bother.  And it's not like Horse Number 2 is helping much - I am trying to live without plumbing so we don't waste too much water in the meantime.  ("In the meantime" means "before the pipes are fixed on Monday", not "before I die.")

Number 8: Churches Just Want You To Fill Their Rosters (blue&pink cap, yellow&green vest) Jockey: Me, of course
Anna-Lucia doesn't like going to creche at church.  I've tried a number of times and she's not into it.  So just as I was about to ditch the whole idea, a letter comes in the mail with a roster for minding the children in creche, and I am on it.  Twice.  So what am I supposed to do?  Be involved in a ministry that I have no involvement in, save my appearance on the roster, of course.  Story of my faith life.