I’m having a week

The “Q-word” curse is well-known within healthcare—with medical staff believing that saying “quiet” out loud results in chaos erupting (call bells ringing, ambulances arriving, and emergencies spiking). In reality, clinical studies have found no evidence of there being such a link.

Well, I have observed my own (similar) phenomenon. Whenever my week ahead is looking quiet (that is, I have a low case-load / booked clients), I make all kinds of plans to fill those extra hours I have spare. Inevitably, that is the week that my body decides to malfunction: “Did I hear you say ‘quiet’ week ahead, Franciska? Well, let me serve you a selection of ailments from your smorgasbord platter of chronic health symptoms.”

Every time, without fail.

Every. Single. Time.

I don’t need to conduct a clinical study. It happened the week before last, so I ‘know’ this to be true. (Yes, I’m taking the piss out of myself for being so absurd. But also acknowledging that this is my reality—and my reality is fully valid.)

There is, of course, a closely-related phenomenon with the word “busy”. Similarly to above, uttering “I have a busy week ahead”, inevitably results in a flurry of cancellations / requests to re-schedule.

Bah, humbug.

It is as if there is some greater force scheming to prove me wrong at every opportunity.

I was sharing my observations with someone yesterday, who fully related to what I was saying. Then as we were finishing up our conversation, they asked, “What kind of a week are you having this week?” and we both began to laugh.

They then said, “You are having a week.”

Yes, yes I am.