I looked at my calendar the other day and sighed. The entire summer is booked solid between work, conferences, travel and the kid’s activities. When the kids were little, summer used to stretch out before us like an idle odyssey. I remember when the biggest event of the day was dragging out the swimming pool and filling it up for the toddlers to splash in. My neighbors, Barb and Denise, would bring their kids over and we’d sit in the backyard and chat for hours. Some days, we would order pizza and sit out and talk until the bugs drove us inside.
Barb moved away to California and the kids are now teens. Denise and I both work from home, so we try and grab a gab session here and there, but our visits are far too few lately.
I don’t know how this happened, but life has ramped up to spin cycle.
Like a washing machine, it started out so slowly that I almost didn’t notice it. I picked up one part-time job, then a full-time job– added a book club, another women’s group, a couple of writing assignments and then volunteer work. To top it off, I started writing a book.
And like the washing machine, I found myself smack dab in the middle of spin cycle and wondering how to hit the “off” button. The problem with going around and around in a circle is that you can’t stop yourself. You’re spinning so fast that you’re glued to the walls of the machine. The thing is, if you don’t get out of spin cycle, eventually something is going to wear out and stop working.
I stuck my hand out recently to try and stop the spin. Sitting in my inbox was an invitation to a committee that three years I ago, I would have jumped at to be involved in. After a lot of thought, I graciously said no and actually felt good about it. I also said no to some volunteer activities and some other requests for my time.
Unfortunately, my calendar is still booked for the summer and there isn’t much I can do about what I’ve committed to. Work has to be done, the kids have to be driven here or there, and there’s the graduations and weddings to attend. Fortunately, I’ve booked in some fun, some barefooting and some enjoyable writing.
Now I just have to figure out how to slow the spin down to a gentle tumble.