Feeling Perky

As I meandered around the neighborhood the other day, it came to me that there are a lot of benefits to being codependent. Especially as you age.  The brain gym that occurs has sudoku and crossword puzzles beat.  You do not have to download an app or match up pictures or word search. You simply have to walk around the neighborhood on alert. This installment is for all my friends and family who have been distressed about my giving up my world concierge position.

Codependence keeps you on your toes.  You must be ever alert for the slightest sign of need in others. Noticing neighbors’ cars and whether they are where they should be. Observing whether or not the garbage cans of the hood have been rolled back in in a timely fashion.  Being able to report that their sprinklers have a problem is also helpful.

Excellent for keeping your hearing up to date and on target.  You must hear strangers in stores, you must hear neighbors and family calling out. Eavesdropping skills in restaurants are especially useful as you can tell more from being nosy than just by observing their faces from across the room.  In addition, you work on tonal aspects. A server or clerk could be smiling, but you can tell from their eyes and tone of voice that it is not a perky, happy day. This then allows you to either go into dancing monkey to cheer them up or to step where you are not supposed to and ask what is going on.

It helps your eyesight because you must be ever vigilant for physical clues. Some of the people in need of your services or superpowers may only be sending subtle body language messages, so paying attention to the shoulder slump or the downcast eyes comes in handy. Also, scanning the room for potential issues keeps you not only paying attention, but strengthening your eyes.

Your listening skills are constantly being honed.  In order to be really good at your job you have to be an active listener.  This is also a part of the super hearing in that you must hear the cry for help even when it is at a level only dogs can hear.  It is there and your job is to hear it and react.

So, I am grateful that my faculties are being constantly calibrated and renewed whilst being exhausted by their overuse.  Benefits and drawbacks people.  Benefits and drawbacks.