Downtime

This morning I am in a contemplative mood. Tomorrow, due to a general officer visit I will get to attending briefings and a luncheon and lose my normal day off. Thrilled? Not, but I will get over it.

Even in a deployed environment, attempting to work dozens or hundreds of days in a row is pretty dumb. Everyone needs downtime. Whether than time is actually used for alone time, meditation (medication?) , contemplation or sanity re-set is irrelevant. It can be just that time in which to run personal errands. Having some time that you control rather than being the one always controlled is important.

All of which leads me to the “standard practice” here. I like Friday and Sunday mornings. Everyone else is off and I get a lot of work done. This morning was no exception. I was the only one here, just me and my computer and a playlist which didn’t need to be on headphones or mute. The phone calls started around 0800 combined with people dropping in and out. It started to feel like being the announcer in a bus station. Believe it or not just because I am the oldest around here doesn’t mean that I am the Mom for everyone, or responsible for the whereabouts of six other people.  Having written the above, my sense of humor is restored and I am taking the world a whole lot less seriously.

Instead of fretting about a lost day tomorrow, I can procrastinate on my recertification module, cleaning, and organizing. All the things that I don’t really enjoy can always wait another day or week. Like everyone else I can run errands on duty time.

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3 Responses to Downtime

  1. Berg says:

    Being the oldest or highest ranking seems to be synonymous with the assumption that you are the Mom or Dad or at the very least the lead kindergarten teacher

  2. Steve says:

    Yep. Isn’t it amazing how a few minutes of contemplative writing, allowing yourself to see your own thoughts shining back at you in symbolic blotches of electronic ink, can initiate a change of perspective and attitude? I love your “I am not your mother!” sentiment.

  3. Cheryl says:

    I have learned to love it when the senior leadership around here is gone TDY-I can get some work done!

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