Shoulders

Most of the time they are just there, the perfect place to hang a purse or scarf, and good for shrugging, too. But when I'm on deadline or feeling tense in other ways my shoulders move up, up, up until they are somewhere around my ears. They become a tension factory; the bad vibes they generate give me headaches, neck aches and numb, tingly hands.

Celia has magic fingers; she massages my aching muscles. The relief is instantaneous but short-lived. And since a teenager is unlikely to hang around the house to be her mother's masseuse, onto the Internet I go. Try these exercises, says one site. I have and I do. Buy yourself a phone headset and a good pillow, says another. On my to-do list. I even find a community of people whose only bond is that they have tense shoulders. The site says "anonymously connect with people who share your experiences -- like those who say 'I Have Extremely Tense Shoulders All the Time.' Read hundreds of true stories, share your own story anonymously, get feedback and comments, chat in the discussion forum, help others, meet new friends, and so much more."

Now there's a thought. A group of people whose only bond is their tense shoulders. It's a "Saturday Night Live" skit or a "Seinfeld" episode. I start to chuckle. And then I start to breathe deeply. Ahhh. My shoulders feel better already.