Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Finding time for things that matter

I am different from most people who live on Ocracoke in that I work a full time (well, theoretically - lately it has been much MORE than 40 hours a week!) "corporate America" job (I telecommute). This means my day is less flexible than I would like for it to be. If I weren't so focused on touching salt water every day, there would probably be days that I didn't make it outside at all! (Last year, before I become daily-salt-water-touch obsessed, there were days I didn't leave the house.)

But I have learned from this that it is important to squeeze in, every day, something that matters more than work, even if for only a few minutes. Touching salt water is that thing for me, on many days. Today I was blessed to have several additional "more important" things I enjoyed:
1. A nap! I wish I could say this was because I just felt like a snooze in my hammock...it was actually because I had an awful headache (that's what staring at a computer for 11 - 12 hours a day will do to you) and just had to lie down for a while.
2. A visit from the first graders. They were walking around the village, delivering invitations to their end of the school year picnic which will be held tomorrow on the boat where Mary Ellen (their teacher) currently lives. (Attending the picnic will be my "more important" thing for tomorrow.) The kids were all amazed to see how much Jamie (the kitten) has grown since his visit to their classroom several months ago.
3. Sending a short note to a friend (an actual hand written note, not an email!)
4. Receiving a gift from a friend. Marcy stopped by to bring me a copy of the new Coyote CD Another Year Blooms as a thank you for writing the review of it for the paper. It has been selling like hotcakes!
5. Smelling the roses - literally! Marcy also brought me some lovely ones from her garden.

I hope I'll be able to squeeze in several more-important-than-work activities tomorrow, too. And I hope you will as well!

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