c/personality·Posted by u/jordan_hale·9h ago

Why do I need two hours to recover from a 30-minute phone call with my parents?

I called my mom Sunday at 4 because I had been dodging it. Thirty-one minutes. We talked about her neighbor's fence and whether I was eating vegetables. Nobody yelled. When I hung up I sat on the bathroom floor with the phone still in my hand and stared at the tile. Then I needed the whole evening empty. I cancelled a walk with a friend using a vague 'tired.' I was tired. It was a fence conversation. I do not know how a small call can take the rest of the day like a tax. I love them. I also have to budget for the hangover. Anyone else get wiped by a call that looked fine on paper?

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