February 7, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes anxiety. Who has anxiety or what is the source? Is there conflict? How can you use anxiety to further a story? Go where the prompt leads! Submit by February 12, 2022.
“I can’t do this again,” I mumbled. I’d tallied the debit and credits four times and they still didn’t balance by mere pennies. I prided myself on balancing to the penny. My face grew hot.
O.K. calming breaths. I inhaled and closed my eyes as I slipped into the darkness of meditation. Colors danced behind my closed lids. Peace and calm filled my soul.
“Colleen, are those expense reports ready? They were due an hour ago,” my boss called out.
My meditation finished; I added the numbers again. The error was obvious. I’d transposed a number.
“On my way!”
Great telling!!
Thanks, Ruth. It’s been a busy week. I’m still playing catch up! <3
😘
I felt the aniexty reading this 🙂 w?Well done! I make that error too often.
I worked in accounting and tax prep for over 20 years. So glad that is all behind me… but do you see why I like syllabic poetry and the counting os syllables? LOL! It’s been a week. I’m so behind. <3
Sometimes you do just have to take a minute and then try again! I don’t work with numbers, but it’s true of writing, too.
That is so true, Merril. I can tell if I need to meditate now. Everything comes back into focus afterwards.
Sometimes when I’m writing test items and get stuck, I start walking around in my house, and I figure it out.
Same here! If I get out of the situation for a bit it usually comes to me. 😂
Too easy to transpose numbers and letters …. and it never helps when one is pressed for time – always a good thing to remember to stop, breathe, blink and clear the mind – before looking again.
Sounds like you’re rushing – so follow your own story advice – take a few moments, get up and shake it off, change direction for a few minutes, then decide how best to proceed. You’ll feel much better for it I should think. 🙂
Have a good weekend – remember “you time” is equally important my friend (almost typed ‘fiend’! 😂😅 oops!)
LOL! I’ve been a mad fiend all week. We had dental and eye appointments. I worked on a project for a client and finished that! I don’t know where the time went! 😂❤️
Well, there will be days and weeks like these, to be sure! But each “check mark” is something done. Hopefully you get some time to catch your breath!
The week ahead is much better. I do love to check those things off my list! You’ve got me pegged. LOL! 😀
Someone gives me a spreadsheet to read with a bunch of numbers on it, and I break out in a cold sweat.
LOL! I did bookkeeping for over 20 years. It’s a stressful job, so I totally understand.
Kind of relatable as I used to work in accounts! Good one Colleen. X
Me too! And tax work! Ugg! 🤦🏼♀️ Everything still has to balance! 😂
A great example of how walking away, letting go of a problem is often the best solution. No need to add to the anxiety after all. Well told!
Thank you. I can’t tell you how many times this happened until I learned to breathe! 🙏🏻❤️
Eet takes thyme.
You got it! LOL! I’ll never think of thyme the old way again! <3
I hate that when that happens! 😉
LOL! Transposition happens the most in numbers. 😂
Hooray for meditation clearing the mind! I still balance my checkbook every month, and it absolutely has to balance, so I can relate to this story. Great job, Colleen! 🙂
LOL! I worked as a bookkeeper and tax preparer for over 20 years. 🤦🏼♀️I still balance my checkbook monthly too! 😂❤️
I do that all the time. Even with sudoku. (K)
And wordle! LOL! 😀
I worked as a cashier in a private bank for two years before I started teaching. In the end, debit, credit and tally were hard work for me. Nice story, Colleen!❤️
Thanks, Jane. I enjoyed the idea that everything had to balance. It is hard work though. You always have to thing one step ahead. I worked in a bank for a few years as well (before computers). Everything was hand counted. YIKES!! <3
Welcome! Yes, everything was hand counted that is why we are good in mental math 😂
Yes! LOL! 😀
Thank you so much 🥰❤️
Well done, Colleen. I like the way you showed the anxiety without using the word. It’s amazing how much clearer things can be when looked at with ‘fresh’ eyes.
Yes! Thanks, Norah. That was a hard lesson to learn. But sometimes you just have to let it rest. ❤️
Good one, Colleen! I can relate to this back in the day when there were no computers. Yikes!
On yes… I started my accounting career in the Air Force in 1976 as a chaplain’s assistant. We did all the books by hand, with those huge ledgers. Many years later, I used accounting and tax programs. But, you still end up talling debits and credits. LOL! 😀
Love this! If only every problem could be resolved that easily! BUT always, meditation helps!
Such a relatable story Sis. I felt the anxiety of balancing. <3 xx
LOL! I still transpose numbers! 😂
Old habits die hard 🙂 xox
We’ll now I know to look for that. It’s called wisdom! 😂❤️
<3
There’s nothing like a good reset with meditation, Colleen! I think your taxes photo is going to cause more anxiety, lol!
It took me a week to get everything ready for those taxes this year! Last year was too busy! LOL! <3
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I took several accounting courses…one class in high school and several in college. Loved it, but transposition of numbers was always a problem. My high school teacher said something to the fact that the transposition errors were always divisible by nine or something like that. All I know is that when the columns don’t balance, I am fraught with anxiety and that includes every time my checkbook doesn’t balance. On the other hand, my husband just looks at the account statement and never worries about balancing it. Maybe he has it right, but I’ll never know…I want it to balance! ~nan
LOL! Me too! Yes, transpositions are divisible by 9. Every time! 😂❤️
Sometime it just takes a moment or two of calmess to see things clearly!
Yes. It’s like forgetting where you put something. If you let it alone for a bit, it always comes back to you. ❤️
Sometimes I like to sit with a problem until I figure it out. However, more often than not, after a while, I realize that a break is needed. Clearing my head does wonders.
Reminds me of a time when a boss of mine didn’t like how ‘slow’ or accurate I was taking in sales. She took over my drawer and I watched her get scammed. I made her count the drawer right after that customer left. She came up short. Anxity followed because bosses don’t like to be proved wrong!!
I know that feeling and the sense of relief at the end.
It’s a great big Whew! LOL! <3