Malignant Normality & The Workforce in My New Life

Recently, I have done almost absolutely nothing, and have felt really good
while doing it. After studying Anatomy & Physiology, the endocrine system,
Sympathetic, Parasympathetic systems, stress (cortisol), and how
norepinephrine works, I decided to do nothing. I decided to quit striving. I
am feeling much better with a load of depression sort of blown out. I knew I
was at least slightly depressed due to my work environment, however, I have
developed coping mechanisms for it. It had come to a head, and my coping
mechanisms weren’t doing it anymore. I was working out 2-3 times a week in a
hot studio, and still not losing weight. I decided I needed a semester off, or
my body & mind were deciding it for me. I have done pretty much nothing for
the last few weeks, and I have felt great doing it. I wake up feeling, and
looking slimmer. I am allowing my parasympathetic system to do what it’s
supposed to do. Meanwhile, I head into work where I serve tables on the side.
Upon entering the breakroom where the servers congregate, where the older,
Republican lady is. I was trying not to argue about politics, and state my
position calmly while I was reading my new book, Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas
Pynchon which I am truly excited about. But, upon her picking up how peaceful
I was, she began finding ridiculously absurd things to accuse me of.
Obviously, I am particularly financially secure at the moment, and she
apparently picks up on this, and starts by shaming me for accepting
unemployment during the Pandemic. I have always had 2-3 jobs at a time, and
have worked more than my fair share these last 10-15 years. I am actually
trying to teach myself how not to be a workaholic where I generally work 60-70
hour weeks, and have done so for years. And so, she begins shaming me by
saying, “How much unemployment did you take? Some of us have standards”. Right. So my peace, and calm of
mind is in no way fairly my own. It apparently has to do with my being some
sort of freeloader, (despite the fact I’ve worked 2 jobs, and been in college
classes for the previous 15 months). But, I recognize what she is attempting
to do. She is attempting to release norepinephrine in my system by creating
“fight, or flight” emotions. The Anatomy & Physiology video I was watching
yesterday defines stress, or what norepinephrine does to you as “Throwing
parts of your body into overdrive while depriving others of blood and oxygen”.
I have no shame or guilt in accepting funds in order to keep myself, and
everyone else safe from a life threatening virus during The Pandemic while I
was unable, or not allowed to work. It’s the same as the gov’t building roads
for its populace, and National Defense. Needless to point out, many more
Republicans died during the Pandemic than did Liberals partially due to the
fact we took it more seriously. Or, at least those are numbers I have read in
some articles.

This has been a constant in the town I live in. Every work
environment is littered with stressed out people who have all decided that
life, and work have to be a series of unmanaged emotions. And that everyone
else must be in a similar state with them. This is called “Malignant
Normality”. Something that is abnormal has become an accepted state of
normalcy. (Of course, I am only highlighting this personality type for the
sake of this essay. There are plenty of other co-workers who are as tranquil
as I am, and it’s important not to focus on these unpleasantries for your own
health’s sake). Living in an overly stressed state of mind keeps certain
functions of your body from operating, namely the Parasympathetic systems
having to do with sleep, digestion, and sexual reproduction. People who keep
you stressed out are literally depriving your sexual organs of blood, and
oxygen. This is where, I believe, ideas, or laws like “Disturbing The Peace”
came from. If there is no need to panic then stress is a Public Health Safety
concern, or at least it was before the world plugged into the internet, and
instant telecommunications. One of my many, many jobs I have had (I have been
working since I was 9-12 years old, and driving tractors to feed our cattle
since I was 14), I was a professional snowboard instructor by age 16, and
crowd control was part of our training. Panic is contagious, and people can be
trampled so stay calm, and yoga on.