It was a valiant fight, but Oklahoma beat Mizzou. Again. It's a psychological thing. I recognize it in myself far too often, in fact. Whenever one of my students or anyone else says they are inspired to work harder whenever someone tells them they "can't do it," I want to shout "Liar!" It isn't true for me, at least, and I've seldom seen it true for others. If I have tried before and failed, if I hear someone else express a belief that I can't do it (like my doctor with weight loss), then I can't do it. It's like the negative thoughts weigh too much and they drag me down. You'd think I'd know enough about psychology to discount the effect of self-fulfilling prophecy, but it gets me every time. I suspect that Mizzou was beaten as much by their own consciousness as by the other team. Not only had Oklahoma been the only team to beat them in regular season, but all the sports pundits were saying that Oklahoma would win. They were the favored team in everything I read and heard. But--there's always next year.
I am really down today. The snow and ice that fell yesterday are now being turned into slush by temperatures in the mid-30s and falling rain. It's cold, and I ache. Even my teeth hurt. My sinuses feel as if I have bags of cold marbles tucked inside my cheeks, up under my eyes. The worst part is knowing that this weather will be repeated in some version for another four months or more. Maybe the spouse and I can go somewhere warm and sunny during spring break this coming semester. That is, assuming we even have the same spring break. That's one of the pitfalls of working for different schools.
Sigh. I feel like the gloomy Kerplopuss from that children's book that my younger son used to love: Professor Wormbog and the Gloomy Kerplopuss. The gloomy Kerplopuss would sigh all day. Literally. "All-lll-lll da-aaa-ay," sighed the gloomy Kerplopuss.
Nevertheless, it's time to put on my big girl panties and deal with it. Dr. S.
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