Irony revisited

I have a cold. That in itself is not ironic but what is funny is that I was looking through this book today in which the author argues that illness is a product of negative thinking. I don't agree with her entire hypothesis but I do think she has some funny things to say and some of it is useful.
For example, she writes that the cause of a cold is: "Too much information. Too much going on. Mental confusion." Now, what I want to say in response is, have YOU tried to get through sociological theory? :)
No actual the theory isn't bad. I'm just so foggy headed that trying to revisit Mannheim, Nietzsche, Freud, Weber, Pareto and Durkheim feels like trying to drive in the dark with no lights on.

I was thinking today though that I agree with Patri that "tea is a blessing of some kind." My first instinct when I get sick is to want to crawl into bed and not move but of course, that isn't going to happen on finals week. I've learned though that taking cold medicines and whatnot really only prolongs your illness because it surpresses your symptoms which are really just your body's way of trying to rid itself of whatever virus you have. So I'm doing the alternative. I'm drinking tons of water, tons of unsweetened tea (red tea and bancha primarily) and sleeping when I can. Also I've been doing alot of meditation and yoga. Long story short, it's quite ironic to me that I feel better even though I'm sick than I usually do because I USUALLY don't slow down long enough to feel anything other than tired. I've been thinking also about friendships and how those people who truly love you and value your wellbeing are not the ones who are going to encourage you to do things that are harmful. Rather they're the ones who are going to tell you (hopefully) to wake up and stop doing that sort of thing. I really want simplicity in my life. I've been on this trend lately toward wanting to eat minimally and just rest or just be present and that is nice. This is the first holiday and school break for that matter that I've been absolutely unwilling to engage in the compulsive or obligatory buying frenzy or the worrying needlessly habit that tends to hit me when the rush of the semester subsides. Has all of this stemmed from my having a cold? No. Having to slow down though is part of it. The other part I think is that I have been meeting so many people who are working in their own way and at their own pace to bring about the kind of changes I'd like to see. So their efforts and energy are a constant inspiration. I'm going to resume my studying now.
peace!