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Choosing to Be Still
I don’t like being idle and still — but it is a healthy choice from time to time.
Just about every day of the week I have something to do. Work here, writing there, deadlines, projects, cleaning, and so on.
For a long time now, I have taken a great deal of pride in my ability to do more than one thing at a time. Multitasking has been a skill I’ve bragged about in cover letters and resumes for most of my adult life
Because I have been indoctrinated in the societal notion of a Monday-Friday workweek and a two-day weekend, I tend to plan different activities for my weekend days. I still have things to do, many of which are fun.
And then the pandemic hit. Suddenly, leaving the house for more than a walk around the neighborhood or a drive without a destination became rare. The weekend medieval events ceased. Staying in touch with friends became virtual.
Even though I had been working from home, for the most part, my weekend still had activities. And then they didn’t.
Now I encounter a day, sometimes two, where I have no plan. Nothing to do. Sometimes this is advantageous and feels like a good and useful thing. But other times it is infuriating and feels unproductive and wasteful. Shouldn’t I be doing something?
