When you spend most of your day typing news articles for a rapidly-growing news site and most of your evening being a mom, the reality of trying to find time for yourself — taking time out — is tough.
You’re last on the list. Bottom of the pile. Perhaps even below the origin axis.
In the past few weeks, that’s how it’s felt. I’ve been racing from pillar to post. I’ve noticed my own enthusiasm wane for even things I love to do. 60-hour work weeks aren’t sustainable, and by golly I think I’ve learned that once and for all. But the very week after things went base over virtual apex and every second of every hour seemed like a struggle to keep ahead of a veritable tsunami of bad luck, last week turned a corner.
I realised the importance of taking time off. Moreover, I realised the importance of listening to my voice.
Some time ago, I made plans to attend a convention this past weekend. Although the convention itself was four days, I resigned to the fact that I would go for just one, thus getting a day off while not asking my wonderful wife to take on more than was fair. And on Saturday, I went.
I met new people. I made friends. And despite hanging my virtual work hat on the coat hook as I left, I ended up talking shop at least a bit to people who I never once anticipated I would be speaking shop with.
I attended a drama workshop. I goofed around in costume for a bit. I even treated myself to a commission from one of the artists in attendance. And I think that perhaps I may decide to go to another one at some point in the future because it was the epitome of creativity and escapism my brain has been longing for a very long time.
When I came home, my wife commented that I was smiling for the first time in ages. I’ve got to admit that she was right. My weekend had started right and it carried on in the same vein. We spent yesterday visiting my mother in Norfolk, a 500+ mile round trip that took a fair number of hours to do but gave the kids, myself and my wife the chance to visit mum for a few beautiful hours.
By the time we were driving home yesterday evening, and attention had turned to our planned U.S. emigration this summer, we’d also realised that my downtime — or rather my lack of downtime — hasn’t been helping us.
The lack of creative output. The drive to be always_doing_something… It’s not helped. In fact, I think it’s hindered.
So today, I’ve resolved to give my aminorjourney.com domain a refresh. I’ve decided that posting on here a little more regularly will do me some good.
I haven’t decided what I’ll post, but I do know that it will be eclectic. I’m going to share all sorts of fun things, under the guise of being Too Geeky to be a Hipster.
So, take it how you will. But if you want to follow my stream of consciousness, go right ahead.