So much in one poor head

Lately I've been feeling a huge mental overload, so I started analyzing what the problem is. I mean, I've been in school pretty much my entire life and I should be okay. But when I started thinking of what I'm trying to put in and process I could see the problems:

Study for the bar exam. 1. Learning how the test works. 2. Making sure I've crossed my Ts and dotted my Is on all the application material. and of course, most importantly, 3. Studying 15 different subjects that range across the entire spectrum of life--from crime, to family relationships, to the US constitution, to wills and dying, to contracts, to well, you name it it's probably on there. Especially with the ridiculous scenarios they make up to test your knowledge. I'm trying to cram 3+ years of schooling into a few weeks. No matter how well I knew it before (some I did, some I didn't) it's still overload.

Immigration law. Which of course, is not part of what I'm studying for the bar It's a whole different humongo body of information. Massive body of information and I'm desperately trying to make it all connect/fit together/apply to life.

Personal Statements. [Warning on this one, you may not want to read the details, though they aren't graphic. First sentence or two should give you the gist.] This is probably the hardest because, in addition to the mental, it involves such an emotional strain. As part of my job I write the stories of people's experiences to explain why they deserve special relief available for them. I'm helping client's applying for visas available for victims of violent crimes and domestic violence and also asylum applicants. So, first I talk to the client and get their story--often getting it out piece by piece, patiently and trying not to traumatize them more. Then I translate it. Then I (sometimes, but sometimes it's too much) read it back to them so they can verify I got it all correctly. As I tell the clients, we need to paint a picture for the judge. We don't want to just say "he beat me." We need to tell when, how, how often, who was there, where on your body, where were you, how did you feel emotionally, what injuries did you have, etc. etc. so the judge feels like he's seen it. So very, very much can be masked by simply saying "he used to beat me." But unearthing it is painful and really quite awful. Mostly I just take it in as words and don't visualize. But sometimes it's just too much and I'm crying along with the client. People really do such awful things to each other. As I told me boss the other day--I was making a final product of 3 different stories. I'd taken the notes on separate days but hadn't been able to deal with them, so finally one day I just did them all. Anyway, I told him. The teenage boy who was stabbed repeatedly was the highlight of my morning--at least his victimization was as an innocent bystander. (On that story--after 30-odd stab wounds plus some more things, he still drove himself and walked into the ER. Wow!!) Anyway, I do okay most of the time, but I realize it's storing itself up inside me and sometimes it's just too much.

People. I'm living with a new family and trying to learn the ends and outs of an extended family, names, etc. I'm also in a new ward and really do try to remember a name or two.

Future. Occasionally I look toward the future. But that's just about more than I can handle right now.

Life. Then there's just all the regular things in life. Fortunately I feel like Heavenly Father is really blessing me and many of these things are not causing much mental effort right now. Car's great (squeaky brakes will wait), health is great, money is working (the windows of heaven have opened--see below for one example), family is fine as far as I know, etc.

Anyway, put that all together (especially bar, imm. law and personal statements) and my dreams are insane. Convoluted, depressing, and dense. Really, I feel blessed over all, but I still cannot wait for a mental vacation.

And, I have been thinking (especially after some good personal revelation yesterday) that I need to feed my mind with something nice, light, but also worth reading. I've been listening to the Lord of the Rings on CD when I'm doing non-thinking activities and it's enjoyable. But, honestly, it could probably go in the above list--complicated, requires mental effort and has bad, evil things too to make the dreams great.

Help! Anyone have suggestions of a nice read that doesn't include murder, rape, sex, torture, or anything else heavy? At least not in detail. I mean, if I had my books I think something like Rifles for Watie would be great--entertaining, worth reading, but not too heavy. (And people get killed, but you know what I mean?) Or, The Goose Girl--which I was reading this time last year. Again, bad things are in it, but not too heavy for the mind and the soul. Any ideas? Any? Anyone still reading this post? :)