Busy As A Bee

Lately, everyone I talk to...at least all my female baby boomer friends...are busy, busy, busy. There is no time to plant flowers, to nap on weekend afternoons, to go to the movies, to enjoy life. Instead, we pay professionals to plant our flowers, we're on the run or on the treadmill on weekend afternoons, and we sign up with Netflix to reserve the movie we want to see when it comes out on video.

Everyone is working, working, working. Why is work taking over our lives? We talk about work/life balance, but there is no work/life balance anymore. If you work from home - you work round the clock (although it is nice not to have to get dressed in a suit or casual attire to do your work)...for those of my friends, like me, who work in an office...you're spending more time on the job...getting to work earlier...or leaving later...and even those of my friends who don't work at a full-time job...they are even busier...with philanthropic assignments or their kids' activities.

I want to slow down...I am slowing down...I just can't keep the pace that I used to...I was starting to think that maybe I'm just not fast enough anymore...can't multi-task like I used to. I think it is email that is killing me...I have three email accounts now and of course...my blog. My work email is always full...and my other two home email accounts are starting to fill up...thanks to my blog...and my faithful readers...now I have to check those mail boxes everyday...whatever did we do without email...remember the good old days...without blackberries...and cellphones...and then there is the regular mailbox...that's for all the bills (since I haven't gone paperless yet to do my banking).

I try not to do work on Friday evening or Saturday...Sunday is another story...Sunday is my physical workout as a weekend athlete in the morning and then I work in the afternoon and into the evenings (except for my Desperate Housewives break...which has not happened the past two weeks since they are on repeats...I don't like repeats)

Yesterday, I had a big dilemma...do I work or do I go to the movies and have coffee with an old friend and get my haircut (haircuts don't really count...they are a necessity at the six week mark). I saw myself being pulled in two directions...thinking about all the mounting work I have to get done before I leave for my Roman holiday...I hesitated a bit (really only for a second)...but then the lure of the new movie The Namesake (one of my favorite books turned into a movie and just released the day before) and the thought of having a decaf skim latte with my friend that I hadn't seen in almost a year (because we're both too busy)won me over.

I'm so glad I succumbed. The movie was just wonderful...for those who haven't read the book...it's about a family from India and their assimilation into the United States...the characters are so rich...I felt like I went to India for two hours...and learned about another culture. And the decaf skim latte and catch-up with my old friend was worth it.

So now, I'm back to my 'busy as a bee' pace...better get to sleep as my 5:30 am wake-up call awaits me bright and early Monday morning.

Judi