So, up until now, my last panic attack had struck yesterday afternoon. This might not seem like much, but going for a minimum of 12 hours without having an internal meltdown is totally huge in my teetering-on-the-edge-of-insanity existence. Yesterday’s trauma occurred because a friend of mine had shipped his engagement ring (yeah ENGAGEMENT RING – you see where this is going…) to me. This meant I had to go to the post office, pick it up, and walk it down the street back to my apartment, then pack it up, and deliver it to him. For most people, this seems like a non-event. For me, it was like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. You know what I’m talkin’ about. Every step could be a potentially deadly hazard. What if the post office lost it? What if someone realized it was jewelry and stole it out of the mail? What if I pick it up but it falls to the ground when I leave and I don’t notice it? What if I get mugged? (Now this one is really absurd. I live in a pretty upscale neighborhood. I’ve never been mugged in my life. The only thing between my apartment and the post office is a fire station with a minimum of 5 fireman sitting outside watching me walk by 500 times a day. No WAY that this is gonna happen…) What if I put it in my bookbag and get on the Metro and then on the escalator the person behind me surreptitiously unzips my bag, reaches in, grabs the box, slips it out, and then rezips my bag, all without my knowledge? (Again, odds on this one: slim to none. No, I take that back. Just none.) What if I put it in my locker at school, and someone sees me and uses a bolt cutter to break the lock and steal it? (I’m not kidding. These thoughts actually cross my mind.)

You can see how this is terrifying. But I try not to let on to everyone. I act like it’s totally no big deal. Meanwhile I’ve mentally used and abused myself into believing it’s a lost cause and the ring will never reach its destination. All while the poor little voice of reason in my head (who isn’t even in the back - he’s crouching in fear in a corner) keeps saying, “This is crazy. You are making shit up and it’s pretty irritating. Please, pull it together before I have to take action! ANnoying!”

Naturally, nothing happened and the ring made it. And then I had about 12 hours of peace. Until just now, when I realized that I have out-of-town friends coming over and the ice in my ice trays was made with tap water instead of bottled water and I only have 2.5 hours to remedy this dire situation…