My cat is trying to help me write this. Actually, she's standing in front of my computer screen, making a better door than a window. She's a good muse, when she's sitting elsewhere like on the chair next to me.
But it's time to pet her, and she's discovered that if she gets in my way, I'll stop what I'm doing and pet her before I put her back on the floor.
I titled this post timing because I was supposed to write it early this morning. But I didn't have time to get that done, and work called and I'm so far behind there as well as I haven't had time to catch up on all the papers which take at least 5 minutes each to grade (and I have 130).
I have a proposal due May 15. I have to make the time to do that. I carried out dinner since I never have time to cook, and then sat on my rear-end and wasted time watching The Waterboy on ABC Family. Two hours gone--except for it's been so long that I've made time to sit around and do nothing that I'm allowing myself not to feel guilty since I often don't make time to relax. I did make time to get on the treadmill for 30 minutes and get a least 1.33 miles run/walk in.
Time can be our best friend, or our enemy. Time can make us feel overwhelmed and frantic. I finished my revisions at 9 PM Sunday--they were due May 8 (Monday) at 8 AM. Talk about down to the wire.
But I've learned to simply roll with it. I can't control time. I can make to do lists, I can prioritize, and then often not, the best laid plans go astray. Sometimes this is a good thing. Monday night I took an hour and went on a walk with my 9 year old after we'd gone out to dinner. Two hours of quality time--I can't remember when we'd done that last.
My book is out this month, and except for some stock signings, I'm not doing anything fancy. No postcards, no PR, no book signings. I simply don't have time. I'm placing my book out there (one of my personal favorites) and praying that it can swim on its own without my assistance. This month, my family needs my time, and that's where I have to focus. I need to be Mom this month as school winds down. I only have a short period of time before those little girls are grown and gone away. I want to savor every moment, and I don't need to write everyday. I've freed myself from that--because me time and family time must come first.
Thus, I'll worry about that book I have due July 15 in a few weeks, once I have more time. :)
1 comment:
Time? What's that? I work a full-time day job. We have 4 offices around the country and they start calling at around 8AM. I work until around 6 PM and then switch over to writing until my eyes blur. On weekends I write. My husband is away on a job for weeks at a time, which means that anything and everything that goes wrong around the house is my responsibility. Lately it's roof leaks and a broken sprinkler system. Last time he was away it was rats. That's right, rats in my garage. Talk about disgusting. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in root canals, blood tests, mammograms, pap smears and the cardiologist. Then there's my parents who are always clammoring for a piece of me, not counting their doctor appointments that I drive them to. Oh, did I mention Indio, my dog who demands my attention 24/7? He knows just how to get it, too. Doesn't take much. His big head on my keyboard usually does the trick. There's walk time and play time and smoochie time for him. What else? Oh yeah, the grocery store, the post office, Office Depot, the bank. Somehow I manage to get to the gym 3 days a week for an hour each time which I deperately need to recharge. And I don't even have any kids. Can't imagine what it's like for those who do. When I go to bed at night, you can bet I'm tired. Unfortunately, those blasted night sweats that started a few weeks ago make it impossible to get a good night's sleep. But am I complaining? Not on your life! I wouldn't have it any other way. Except for the night sweats. They're no picnic. But I love being busy. The way I see it, the alternative is either death or a life so boring that I might as well be dead.
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