The air conditioner in my apartment has been broken for three days, so far, this month. In Miami. In July. I would say that my reaction upon entering my apartment and arriving at this realization is juvenile, at best. Each time I’ve been on the phone with my mother as I unlocked the door and I immediately mumble angrily at her that I have to hang up and call my building manager. She tells me to call my brother and to call her back when I have it figured out. I call Bill the building manager, who tells me I have to wait till tomorrow/they might get me a fan/it will be fixed on Wednesday. Then I lose my mind. I cry. I panic. I yell at the dog. I curse the wretched life that is mine, turn on the computer and crack a beer. An hour later, I’ve calmed down, cooled down and feel vaguely sheepish about my earlier hissy fit.
neu·ro·sis [noo-roh-sis, nyoo-]
noun, plural neu·ro·ses [-seez] Psychiatry .
1. Also called psychoneurosis. a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease, in various degrees and patterns, dominate the personality.
2. a relatively mild personality disorder typified by excessive anxiety or indecision and a degree of social or interpersonal maladjustment.
julie warshaw 