One spring break when I was home from college, like most other students I was absolutely exhausted. But I couldn’t “come down” from the frantic-induced anxiety of my stressful courses. The first night home I slept a total of 4 hours.
The next day, my body finally recognized that I was home. I ate good food. I didn’t have to worry about classwork. I began to relax.
That night I slept for 12 hours straight and didn’t wake up until 10:00 a.m.
After I woke and came downstairs my father cornered me in the kitchen. He was angry that I had slept so much. I was lazy, he told me. I was a sloth. He became more and more agitated as he pointed out that I had wasted my day sleeping.
“Yeah but,” I countered. “4 plus 12 equals 16 divided by 2 is 8.”
To me it made perfect sense. 4 hours one night, 12 the next divided by the 2 nights equaled 8 which is the average amount of hours one should sleep each night.
My father, of course, had no idea what I was talking about. My answer confused him so much that he gave up on his argument and huffed out of the kitchen.
My unknown diversion to a topic that was perceived as completely different from what was being discussed threw my opponent off guard and diffused the argument. It’s why, as a mom, I always carried a lollipop or two in my purse.
Lesson learned – a little diversion. used effectively, can be a powerful tool.
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
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