I have an admission to make. I sufferer from a disease. Okay it isn’t life threatening^, and probably isn’t going to cause any loss of livelihood unless someone at works notices that I am a victim of this horrific disease. I have contracted T.O.W.S.
Since I have been diagnosed I have come to wondering how long I have suffered this condition. Living in central Australia was I think quite good for me, and may have remedied many of the symptoms for a few years but with hindsight I can recognise many of the symptoms in my behaviour during my previous life in Sydney. Speaking of which, the symptoms. Oh the symptoms can be horrible. It can make working life a daily challenge as the T.O.W.S. influences the very way I view the world. I can’t really explain what it is like, but I will list some of the symptoms I experience and perhaps you’ll recognise my disease. I hear it is most common amongst outdoorsy people so you never know, you might be suffering from T.O.W.S and not even have recognised it.
The symptoms:
- Loss of concentration and day-dreaming
- Intermittent bouts of intense concentration, often manifesting in unconscious staring at objects more than five metres away*
- Irritability**
- Inability to look professional, especially pertaining to the failure to remove days worth of stubble or deeply ingrained grease stains.
- Complete and utter failure to hear anything that might be construed to be an alarm by a reasonable person and inability to tell the time correctly – strangely this symptom is most evident on Monday morning and Friday afternoons, though not exclusively.
I don’t know if this sounds familiar to you, but I seem to live this every week. I am a suffered of T.O.W.S. – Tempting Office Window Syndrome.
^ only occasionally in the ways I find to reduce the symptoms…
* With the exception of maps, from which it can be almost impossible to distract oneself.
** Often directed at those people on social media detailing their excellent adventures when mine and less fantastical. (Yes that can mean you the reader, and I hope that my adventures are occasionally worthy of causing such irritability.)
Categories: Rants
The Graceful Cyclists 
Yes.I recognise these symptoms. Only I live in the out doors and spend very little time in my office. So my syndrome might have a different abbreviation.
So who was having a bad Monday then???
Sorry, the disease is hereditary- we are just staring out the van window now planning the next grey wander.
Mum&Dad