Do You Talk to Yourself?

Many of you will remember my blogs, which included some personal stories at my own expense - and you probably remember my best imaginary friend, Dear Me!

I remember several years back, I was visiting my Mom, and working on my laptop while Mom was doing her usual stuff in the kitchen. She had a soundtrack for her stuff. Everything she was doing was being narrated by her as she went. It went something like this: “This pan should have been put away over there.. oh, I see… it won’t fit unless I move the rest of these things… do I have time to do this whole rearrange before my lunch date?” And so on … and on.

I asked her if she knew she was doing that. She didn’t and we had a good laugh about it all.

Fast forward some years to a vacation rental in Tubac, Arizona, where I am spending a week with my sister and my best friend. The house had a half bath right off the living area for convenience because the others were upstairs. So, I took advantage of the convenience, and was in there a few minutes. When I came out the two of them were standing right there and grinning.

“You were LISTENING?” I said. How rude is that?

“Who was in there with you?” they asked.

Well, nobody of course. But I had evidently been having quite a conversation with someone!

So that was when I realized that I also talk to myself. And once I noticed that, I started noticing how much. A lot!! The worst might be in public restrooms, where people sometimes exit another stall and give me funny looks.

I spend a great deal of studio time alone, and I am always talking to somebody. I do have the dogs, but I don’t think they are listening - at least they don’t answer. Same might be said about Mark.

He wants to know if me and I have an argument, who wins? He never gets to win so he was just wondering.

Talking to yourself used to be thought of as *crazy* behavior. However, we never really knew what crazy was until recently, and now it seems like everybody is talking to themselves, but they are mostly on their phones talking to someone else. I wonder if that is worse?

I am not crazy - at least not enough to really bother anybody. I think I am simply planning out loud - sort of like making a to-do-list in the air. Easier - because you don’t need a pen. Harder to check things off, though.

Other times, I am walking myself through a step-by-step. It helps to keep me from wandering off topic. And hearing something - even if you are the one who said it - makes it stick to your memory better.

I found this on Instagram…

But then, I found this in an old issue of Real Simple magazine.

I believe this is true. When we are saying them out loud, our thoughts can’t run over each other and get all twisted up. Maybe, this is how I keep my ducks in a row. Quack.

That’s all for now. Do you talk to yourself?

jessica