For as long as I can remember, I have chronicled events in my head as though I was reading about them instead of experiencing them. As they played out, so did my imaginary story. More recently, I learned how to voluntarily detach myself from my emotions, thus becoming a spectator rather than a participant. While thus detached, however, I find that I can write the story rather than simply read it: That is, I control myself instead of the emotions controling me.

It isn't a perfect system of control (yet), but at least I know how I react and why.