Stress Can Be Good for You - 4/17/12

Here are some things that stress me out: My dad talking about women. My dad talking about sexting. My dad talking about pretty much anything that isn't sports.

Between that and the stress of living with four women (the doctor said that, so don't yell at me...I'm just restating a clinical expert's opinion here), it's no wonder that my blood pressure was a little elevated. And despite all the whining you hear from people these days -- usually from folks who just have to punch a few keys on a keyboard Monday through Friday -- a little stress isn't necessarily a bad thing. Stress keeps you sharp, and I needed to be on point to successfully navigate this tricky situation.

Early humans needed stress to survive. If our brains weren't wired for that fight-or-flight panic, our cavemen brethren would have been out collecting berries, seen a saber-toothed tiger, and said, "Here, kitty kitty." And none of us would be here today. Earth would just be cats everywhere. (And by that, I mean Earth would be hell.) But luckily, those early hominids got a little stressed at the sight of a Studebaker-sized cat with swords for teeth and knew better than to reach in for a belly rub.

So stress isn't bad in and of itself. The key is knowing how to deal with stress and having some sort of outlet for it. If I'd gotten some free time I would have taken a few of my favorite hand cannons down to the shooting range for a little target practice. I just imagine the faces of men trying to date my daughters on the little paper targets, and voila -- stress relief.

Kyle, if you're reading this...of course I don't imagine your face while I'm there. Of course not. Go ahead and believe that somehow you're different. Knock yourself out.