Pekelover2

Please know that I’m 100 percent sober writing this.
I have a great deal of trouble sleeping. And one thing that hinders my ability to fall asleep is that I worry a lot.
Since I have been sober, I have noticed that I place an equal amount of worry on everything. I think that I ways knew this. When I was a scientist and ran my lab I would be equally worried over cloning a gene (which is something that can be very challenging) vs getting my car over to the inspection center (which is not a very difficult thing to do). I would be equally worried about both of those things.
I don’t have gray areas when it comes to worrying. It’s all very black-and-white in that. It’s all very urgent. Or so it seems.
I have discussed the potato situation with my husband. He is so patient. This is nothing new for him. He understands that I just need to talk about it and then I won’t worry I guess as much.
I don’t know very much about agriculture or how much of the United States is land is earmarked for farmers. But recently dawned on me that we must consume a lot of potatoes in this country. When you think about just potato chips, it blows my mind that we have enough potatoes to supply the potato chip manufactures with enough potatoes. When you think about potato chips, they’re ubiquitous: you can find them in a convenience store, in a hospital cafeteria, in a vending machine on your flight, in the supermarket etc. So we need a lot of potatoes just for potato chips.
Then I started thinking of frozen foods that use potatoes. Like the Oreida company. I think they only sell potato products and they have things like tater tots, crinkle cut, french fries, hashbrowns, etc. They must need a lot of potatoes.
Let’s not forget about french fries. I can’t even imagine how many potatoes are needed just to equip the McDonald’s corporation with enough french fries. Love you And of course there are other fast food restaurants like Jack-in-the-Box, Burger King, Wendy’s, Arby’s, sonic, Shake shack, etc. then of course, there are restaurants that need potatoes for their french fries, their potatoes, au gratin, their baked potatoes, etc. And we haven’t even discussed the rest of us who need potatoes from their local supermarkets. These kinds of strange things worry me when I should be at peace.
Thnk you for listening.

aasharon90

Was just thinking about the potato a few days ago
and was happy to read your post. Meaning, i wasnt
the only one in this. Not so much as worrying about
it the way you are, but incorporating it in a healthy
way or adding it more to my meals.

I enjoy potatoes just as much as the next guy, but
I think it gets mixed reviews on being healthy or not.

Like it being a starchy vegetable and reading to not
add anything white because it's a carbohydrate.

Anyway, If i could get away with eating the biggest
baked potato i can find and enjoy it without guilt, I
would. So, smalls it will be without lots of condiments
which add more calories to it.

As far as potato chip, I could eat tons of my favorites
but again, guilt and weight work against me really enjoying
them. There is no way to just eat one. So, if it's not in the
house, then I can't eat them and thus eliminated the guilt and
extra weight.

Anyway, to see and read your post about potatoes lets
me know that, I'm not alone in thinking about those good
ol potatoes.

Dee74

I know its not really about potatoes but I'm guessing if there ever is/was a potato shortage the US would import

I worried about things I had no chance of affecting one way or the other.
I gradually stepped back from being General Manager of the Universe.

I was worrying about things that weren't my problem to fix.
It was better for me to spare my energies for the things I could change and leave the other stuff to others.

For me, worrying is/was a learned behaviour, but I believe we can stop, let go, adapt and learn to do other things

https://www.psychologicalhealthcare....stop-worrying/

D

Alpine

I used to be a huger worrier and still do worry a fair amount. Heck, Mr A always says if there is nothing to worry about I will make something to worry about. He thinks it is my autopilot mode. Whenever I feel a worry coming on I try to switch my focus to something that brings me happiness and try to imagine all of the details with it..The sound of it, the sight of it, tactile sensation..etc.

Astro

I think Alpine sorta nailed it, I'm a natural worrier, so it's best for me to focus on gratitude and finding joy in anything I can. I was struggling with an event I was working last Thursday night, knowing that again I was going to be the last one there at 2:00 AM guarding tour buses, getting very little sleep before the next day of work. If ya know who Russell Dickerson is, I thanked him for blessing us with a fun day of work and a great evening of music, and he gave me a big hug That did it, that made my night and my other negative thoughts faded.

On another note, I've heard that colored potatoes are a little healthier. Purple are my favorite

aasharon90

No worries any longer on which healthy potatoes
to seek out in place of the white ones. Awesome
suggestion. Purple it is.

venuscat

I don't know whether you are a worrier as much as a deep thinker, Peke.

You think everything through very carefully, whether it is cloning a gene or servicing your car, and I know that feels like a burden because I am the same. I need to think things through and prepare thoroughly, or I am extremely anxious, and I understand this about myself. My brother getting run over and killed when I was little meant that I grew up in a home where anxiety was always present.

And I can wake up in the middle of the night thinking about potatoes or any number of things. But I look it up. I get the answers to the questions that have answers and move on (to thinking about something else ).

As it happens, potatoes are America's leading vegetable crop, and not only aren't we going to run out anytime soon, but our love of them is keeping a lot of people in jobs. Plus, they are very easy to grow in your backyard.

Pekelover2

General Manager of the Universe…love that Dee.
I just need to let these things go. Feels like they’re worse at night. I’m trying to actively do visual exercises where I imagine calm settings while I’m going to sleep.

Pekelover2

Yes, switching gears is very important. Thinking of something pleasant or evening whistling can help my mind move from a pace of worry to a calmer state.
I do feel like worry is my default mode. My husband’s default mode is “everything will work itself out so why worry?”

Thanks Alpine.

Pekelover2

That hug must have felt great Astro. It’s almost as if it soothed you and it kept you going (esp from being exhausted from the night + knowing you had to get up and work again).

I think if I’d had a normal upbringing that I would have been hugged when I got into something stressful. And that must teach you self-soothing. I need to remind myself to soothe myself when I worry;
-Yes there’s most likely plenty of farmland in the US
-I have not read of any potential potato shortages

I was never hugged. Or told “it’s going to be okay!”. Or soothed. Time for more of this.

Pekelover2

Gosh Venus.
I had no idea. I’m sorry about your brother. 😞
That must have caused a lot of sadness and stress in your family.

venuscat

Thank you, love, and yes it did. Mostly it meant that my parents were way overprotective, which just created more anxiety for me.
And I am always afraid that something bad is going to happen.

aasharon90

When I am anxious or full of worry, I switch my thinking and
energy to spiritual thoughts, lesson and prayers learned.

Why waste a minute of worrying when I know my Higher Power
is always with me guiding, protecting and caring for me in all
areas of my life.


Matthew 6:25-26: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not
life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds
of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Zencat

I noticed no 'feeling' words in your post Peke. What does your worry feel like. anxious, scared, dejected. I know If I worry about food there are many feelings associated with that. I would be baffled and alarmed if there were a potato problem. See what I mean. I suggest examine the feelings that drive your worries. Like Dee said it not the potato's. I agree. It's a mood thing.

Pekelover2

Good question Zen. I’m not “scared” about the possibility of there not being enough land to farm and produce the requisite amount of potatoes for our country. I just am concerned and baffled about it. Like how can we possibly have enough land here in the US to make enough potatoes?
Gosh yes, it’s a mood thing. Nothing at all to do with tubers, lol.
It’s part of my personality issues.

Pekelover2

Venus if brings me comfort to know that potatoes are easy to grow. Thank you.

DeplorableDog

I suggest you plant a garden and grow some potatoes. If you saw how many potatoes you could get from what you plant you probably would never worry about potatoes again. You will have to give some away or they will rot before you and your husband can eat them all. On top of that potatoes don't take half the care that tomato plants take.

Pekelover2

I don’t have a green thumb. So I’ve been watching YouTube videos about potato farming. And you can grow a lot of them in a reasonably small section of land.
Thanks Dog. XO

Astro

A few years back I planted some sweet potato bulbs, it's very hard to keep anything growing in Phoenix when it's 120 degrees. For the past two years I've had a small crop of sweet potatoes, maybe enough for a couple meals. Crazy, huh?

Zencat

Do not forget about mashed potato sculptures. I would be devastated if there were no potatoes to make wonderful plate art.

...LOL.