Thing Not To Be Today: frayed.

 Are your nerves frayed? Have they been worn by friction until they're bare and vulnerable like the threads of a pair of ancient jeans (or a brand new pair, if you're into high fashion).

It's a horrible thought.

Still, what to do about it?

Some people turn to drugs of various kinds; some to exercise; some to religion. Some knit, some read, some have long hot baths. Some fish, some watch birds. Some paint pictures, some paint ceilings. Some raise dahlias, some raise pigeons. Some chat, some retreat into silence.

The principle seems to be to find a space where you fit without any bits of you rubbing on the edges.

I'm off to a (fictional) land populated by dragons.

Where's the place where you can stretch tall?

Thing Not To Be Today: frayed. This word came to England in the 1300s from the French frayer, to rub, from the Latin fricāre.