A Ruptured Eardrum, Among Other Things
lessons learning and January happenings
Clutching my head as if to prevent it from flying off my body, rocking back and forth in bed, grinding my teeth. It was hard not to imagine myself as a cartoon— firecracker sound effects going off in my head, sparks coming out of my ear, my face all red and puckered. A ruptured ear drum at 1am was not exactly the “soft launch” I was hoping for to start off the new year.
I can make a pretty dramatic scene yes, but I’m not afraid to say this was one heck of an intense sensation. To anyone who has burst an eardrum before, I think we can agree how wild it is in the moment. Apparently (I immediately commenced “distraction phase” by submerging myself in Google searches regarding the matter), the rupture itself typically results in a feeling of relief to the ear. However, my tympanic membrane shockingly continued to “double, double boil and bubble” for the next twelve hours. What set it off is still a mystery to me, but it was nothing a full round of antibiotics, silicone earplugs, and hunkering down for a couple groggy days couldn’t fix.
In an odd way, I’m grateful for it— for the timing of it, at least. There are a number of areas in my life at the moment that are pretty high stressors. Rather than allowing it to be the cherry-on-top of my personal dilemmas (which was tempting to do, don’t get me wrong) it was more helpful to view it as the perfect distraction. Thinking about it in hindsight actually makes me laugh a little. It was as if the only thing that could interrupt my spiraling anxieties had to be something so intense it was physically impossible to ignore. Like I was being granted a metaphor, to make me realize how minor and temporary some stressors are. In one moment, it can feel all consuming and destructive. But, like so many things in life, an eardrum tends to heal itself with time and patience.
Among Other Things…
Started an online college class to finish my degree (woo!)
Learned how to change some filters in my car
A weekend in Vancouver, B.C.
An evening at Jazz Alley in Seattle
Job transitions
Podcast-y projects in the works
Moved back home
Aside from my little ear situation, I’ve kept in good spirits going with the hectic and fun flow of this month so far! I am allowing it to be a momentum to spur me into a productive year. Hope you are all finding your own rhythms as we test the waters of 2023!