Delayed Reaction

My life seems to always have obscure, off-the-wall things happening.  I have learned to just accept it and rarely get too upset.  Actually, I think my husband and I both have just accepted that strangeness is part of our unique lives.

There have been times my husband has gotten up to find a goopy mess of sugar, syrup and mustard on the stove.  We often go to bed with the house nice and tidy, only to wake up with half of the decorations on the floor and books stacked three foot high in front of the back door.  That's just a few of the silly little things that are our normal.  Yes, there are some more bizarre rituals but I'll save those for another time.

Tonight I was sharing an experience from last week with a friend.  I realized I've become so conditioned to accept the oddities that I forget to be upset when appropriate.

Last week, my husband had left to go work out and I was vegging.  I heard the garage door open and possibly close.  It wasn't uncommon for my husband to close the door before he walked into the house.  He loves to let the dogs run into the garage.  Half paying attention and half zoned out, I expected my husband to walk in any time.

The dogs were barking and prancing in circles, just like they would any other time my husband came home.  I heard the door open to the kitchen, a very distinctive, squeaky metal turn.  Again, the dogs barked and pranced excited.  They never growled or acted any differently than normal.  I heard the door close and assumed he had gotten sidetracked by something in the garage, still not uncommon.

I thought I heard the garage door once again and was now a bit curious.  Instead of getting up, I called my husband.  The voices in the background didn't phase me as I asked why he was in the garage.  He said he wasn't in the garage, he was still at a friend's house and was five minutes away. 

Without hesitation, I went outside the front door and stayed on the phone with my husband until he got home.  My thought was at least outside I wouldn't be trapped in a sealed house with a stranger.  With no shoes or coat, I could still run to a neighbors house.

My husband was home in minutes and searched every inch of the house.  Once he was home, I was calm and had once again chalked up my experience to our bizarre life. 

When I told my friend what happened, she reacted with such fear.  She said it was scary and was scared for me. 

I hadn't thought much about it after walking through the house and finding nobody.  But, wow!  Truly, it was scary.  The idea that someone had nearly walked in my house while I was home alone was scary.  Maybe my husband had left the garage door open and maybe it was a neighbor, but I don't think so.  Some stranger had opened the door of my little home and threatened my security.  Wow!  I hadn't really thought about it like that.

Had I felt that fear the night it happened, I would have probably gone straight into anxiety attacks.  Since it's been about 10 days, I don't feel that intense anxiety.  However, I am re-evaluating my response or lack of to the strange things in my life.