Slow Going

Like my twenty-something friends who are over-scheduled (yes I do have friends in their twenties...that's how I stay up on all the latest trends)...I am over-scheduled too. I always put too much on my plate...try to do way too much in a day...wish I knew of a way to extend the day past 24 hours and still get my sleep.

But, sometimes, it's funny how mother nature slows us down...yes, leave it to mother nature to slow us down...last week with the nor'easter storm all the roads were flooded...a trip that usually takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to get to work turned into a three hour trip. I tried to take three different routes to work...but all were flooded. I sat in traffic along with everyone else for three hours...only because I over-schedule myself I couldn't just sit there.

Being the overscheduled person that I am...I came equipped with lots of things to do during my unexpected three hour trip. I checked my Blackberry. I called my husband three times to tell him I was sitting in traffic for 3 hours. I fixed my nail polish which had chipped (good thing I always carry a spare bottle of my OPI nail enamel in Cajun Shrimp...or is it a different name this year...not to worry, even if it is called by a different name...I am sure I had the exact color because it is my favorite). I sat back and listened to the entire Fleetwood Mac CD (especially my favorite Stevie Nicks song about "this is for you daddy...about how hard it is to make change" - my eyes get teary every time I hear this song). By the time I arrived at work...it felt like almost half the day had gone by...and it had.

Mother nature slowed me down again today...I planned to arrive home early from New York City...taking an Acela train to make sure I arrived in record time. The train left the city on time heading to Philadelphia...I was very prepared...had about three or four magazines and half of the Sunday New York Times and Monday's business section as well (no wonder my bag was so heavy - how could I possibly have thought I could read all those publications and newspapers during what was supposed to be no more than a three hour roundtrip from Phila to NYC and back...talk about overscheduling myself).

Homeward bound...we whizzed by Newark...headed to Trenton and then we came to a halt. I was sitting next to this lovely woman who did not have the use of her Blackberry (it was new and her company IT department hadn't synchronized it yet...as she told me while I was admiring her brown and blue sneakers which perfectly matched her brown and blue stripped suit - neat idea to have sneakers that match your suit - amazing what great ideas you can pick up on the train to and from NYC). The conductor came on the loudspeaker to tell us that "we would be delayed because a brush fire was near the tracks"...we all sat there......all of us overscheduled people with our Blackberries and cellphones and computers...the car was abuzz with everybody calling their mates and colleagues to tell them about the delay...which turned into 30 minutes. I had all my reading materials so I was set...an extra 30 minutes to read all the publications that I schlepped around all day in my bag...I actually didn't even get that distressed...after all, what could I do...just slow down and wait for the fire to die down and the train to move.

Am I getting more patient as I approach the 5-0 mark? When I am forced to slow down...it's kind of nice...I get to listen to the music...to sing along with the tunes...to polish my nails...think I'll take the long road to work tomorrow.

Judi