I think part of the problem is I'm still borderline sick, but feel the need to push myself. And it seems to me, whenever I get a respiratory virus, one of the after effects is that I feel kind of "down" for several days to a week as I'm getting over it. I suppose it's that so much of my energy is devoted to my immune system - and I am not exercising for fear of DRIVING THE VIRUS INTO MY HEART!!!11!!! and getting myocarditis (as I was once warned, maybe inaccurately).
I will never ever discount the possible antidepressant effects of exercise because I see it in myself. Okay, maybe I'm not clinically depressed or anything, but I know I feel much better - not just physically better - when I can exercise. So I could see how maybe someone could use it as part of a treatment plan to help them get better.
But yeah, the Star Teacher story line makes me twitch. It's unrealistic. Well, maybe there are a few Jaime Escalantes out there - but most of us are no more star teachers than every guy in the NBA is a Michael Jordan. And I think what it does is it discounts the efforts of the people who are good and solid, if not "stars."
I think maybe there's some tie-in with the whole World Of Self-Esteem thing there, but I'm too tired right now to hash out the connection. But there's something...something about people expecting themselves to be Great, maybe even without effort, and the idea being that, if you're not absolutely Great, there's something very wrong with you, that you're not caring enough or trying hard enough or whatever. And I have terrible issues with feeling like I'm not good enough no matter what I do. (As I said on ITFF, concerning faculty evaluations and the expectations thereof: "It's as if universities are Lake Woebegone: All professors are supposed to be above average.")
I don't know.
The stores are a small locally run grocery (Green Spray) and the local Wal-Mart. So it's not the same chain. I don't know. I mean, I do use some of the generic products and in my experience, house brands are as good as (and in a few cases, better than) the national brands, but I do like having a choice. (And the wal-mart house brand used to be "Sam's Choice," now it's "Great Value." "Sam's Choice" LOOKED more upscaley and yes, I'm spoiled, but that does kind of matter to me.)
I'm wondering if my having gotten sick is partly a result of some of these worries building up. It does seem that when I'm stressed out, that's when I get sick - that usually I can fight stuff off.
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One supermarket I go to (local chain, maybe six stores) has a fluctuating list of brands, because the ownership has a rule: if they can't get the deal they want on the product, they won't carry it, and they'll put up a sign over the empty shelf explaining exactly that. Usually matters are settled in a month or two - but not always.
With the exception of two products - ketchup, which must be Heinz, and corn chips, which must be Fritos - I'm perfectly happy with store brands.
I acknowledge that there's a gap between where I am and where I'd like to be, but I don't aspire to greatness - only to quiet contentment.
I've noticed that "Great Value" recently changed its labels. They used to look, well, like a store brand but still sort of like any other normal brand. Now they have white backgrounds and plain lettering to look more generic and I hate to admit that I'm influenced by things like that but since they've changed I hate buying "Great Value" products because I feel like I'm buying generics and that they won't be as good.
I do think there's a general "rule" about exercising and illness...above the neck (headache, sniffles) OK if you feel like it, but below the neck (body ache/fever/chest congestion) definitely not and *could* be dangerous in extreme cases. (I've been going through this with my son who got sick at a very inconvenient time--his words--in the high school trck season.)
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