Today I am On Strike!

Is that the little voice of reason making a visit today? Ok, I know that I should be doing laundry, going for a walk, answering emails as my black berry buzzes and even getting to those crusty dirty muffin pans that have been soaking in the sink since yesterday but I am not.  Today I am On Strike!

You see this is the first day off I feel like I have had in weeks and I need to focus on clearing the clutter in my mind first before I can move forward and be productive.  (Apparently clutter in the house could be a cause for clutter in the mind and brain fitness could be a solution).   I call these lazy days being  On Strike and my family has learned to accept them but they do dread the outcome as that usually means they have to help catch up on chores on the weekends. Don’t get me wrong I am liberated and they have chores too, but the reality is that they too sometimes ignore them just like me!

Luckily both my kids and my husband are raving fans of being On Strike themselves. My husband has the On Strike thing down pat and like many other husbands could easily amuse himself by watching sports all day.  I believe it is healthy to listen to your body and slow down when we need it and to never criticize others for doing it.  I fully recognize that I need these lazy days every once in a while as my life becomes even busier with opportunities around work, writing,  managing a family, schedules, aging parents and trying to fit in person fun. 

My sister seems to have a different approach and would ideally take an hour each day for something called “toes up” where she sits down, regroups over tea and clears the mind clutter with her eyes shut.  I am not ready for that nor do I have time each day for this but it is encouraging to know that we all in our own way find a solution that works. 

Today, maybe I will just throw the dirty old muffin tins out instead of washing them and close my eyes and try that “toes up” thing my sister does.  Maybe I’ll have a nap on this glorious rainy day after all I did have to take the dog to the vet at 7:45am and was up early.  No, maybe I will catch a little of Oprah because my Dad said that this is her last season. 

Better yet, a quote in the morning paper referring to clutter says, “when you don’t have time to manage your home, perhaps it’s time to trim down your list of activities”. 

Perfect, today I will do just that.  I agree to ditch the activity of doing the laundry and washing those dirty muffin tins.

Denise Kelly is a North Vancouver Boomer proudly living with her two children, husband and dog Mel.  She looks forward to sharing stories to motivate others.

Originally published BC Black Press 2011