This is the time of day when
I almost always feel
aching
groundlessness
As if
nothing I have done this day
matters,
And I’ve left undone
everything
necessary.
But
nothing
is necessary.
Why can’t I
just
wait?
Image: “Negative space,” by Mike Shell, at home, Worcester, MA (2/14/2023).
2 comments On Late afternoon
That fits me exactly! Thanks!
Thanks, Linda.
This almost daily experience is so strange. It seems to have nothing to do with the actual world and everything to do with my inner narrative.
On some late afternoons I remember that this really nothing more than what I call “weather.” I am making the mistake of creating a narrative, when all that’s really happening is that something is shifting in my my hormonal and neurochemical balance. That shift has triggered an emotional response.
In neurobiology of consciousness jargon, “emotion” refers to how the brain interprets the body’s visceral responses, while “feeling” refers to how our consciousness assigns value judgments or “meanings” to those responses.
So…I “feel” what I called “aching groundlessness,” when usually it’s just that late afternoon is often a low-energy time of day due to a decline in available carbs. A small snack or an early dinner usually dissolves the feeling.
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