Sunday, August 03, 2008

whisper and the world can't hear you

the week in review:

last sunday: i get a sore throat and a general malaise that keeps me on the couch all day. ick.

monday: feel worse and call in sick to work. another day on the couch. double ick.

tuesday: not better yet, but i go to work because we have a director's talk in the morning and i can't afford to miss it. at this point, my voice is quickly departing. i get through the afternoon programs shaking a baby rattle every time i need the kids to be quiet for instructions. (is it my fault i don't have a good cowbell?)

wednesday: i stop at the pharmacy on my way to work in order to ask about strep throat. turns out it has to be diagnosed by a doctor. i make it to work, communicate with my bosses via notes and an erasable white board i'm carrying around. they send me home for looking "tired" (translation: like... well... crap).

thursday: throat is so bad that i go to the doctor to have her check it out. it's not strep (thank goodness) but i'm not allowed to talk for the next few days. i get the rest of the week off work in order to nurse my voice. spend the day cleaning the apartment.

friday: speak to no one (not that i could anyway) all day. not even my husband when he comes home.

saturday and sunday: spend time in pennsylvania with my church on a retreat. surprisingly, they don't all notice right away that i'm not talking (that's a good sign, right?) and we all have a fantastic time. probably my being mostly mute had something to do with that. (yeah, you were all thinking it, i know it)

as long as my voice comes back for tomorrow (story time! three of them! all in a row!), i'll be all set. this sunday is the first day my throat doesn't hurt like crazy, so i'm optimistic.

i'd like to say that i learned something about the world by being forced to be quiet and listen for once in my life, but all i really got is: some store clerks ask you questions and expect answers. others don't even notice that you aren't replying to them. also, people tend to whisper when you are whispering.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a week! Good thing it's over...let's hope things get much better from here on. No cowbell? Brother and I just put ours in the Goodwill bag a couple of months ago when we cleaned up his room! It came from Switzerland,we had it for years and it would have been just perfect for you!