This is a funny way to start, but living as most of us do, as members of the precariot, (the growing class of people who are working precariously to make ends meet, without a safety net) the very idea of a day off seems odd. I am sure that I will be creating order of chaos, fixing the property that is my responsibility and making projects come closer to fruition, but the day is officially "off" from employment. In another ten days, my current job will end and with it, the money (income) will stop as well. A well-behaved and better trained worker might spend their day working on their resume', preparing meals for the next week of work, or strategizing about the next steps that will need to be taken to remain gainfully employed. Not me, the soil needs rehabilitating and my organizational systems need to be tweaked. The most relaxing thing for me to do is to make art, so part of the day will be devoted to that. The tenacity with which I cling to my lifestyle make possible a whole realm of activities which "normals" must forego, but along with that there are things that they get to do that I cannot, because of very real choices I have made.
Last evening is a perfect example. I saw an old friend, who lives nearby, while visiting with an out of town friend who is just around for the night. He was ready to go out to see some live music, but it was already an hour past bedtime and morning is important enough to me that I did not want to miss it. Going out to see rock and roll used to be one of my favorite things, now I would rather put the garden to bed. I still wish that musicians would play earlier in the evening, so that farmers and early risers could go to shows. In many larger cities, music starts early and they still find ways to fill the venues. Here, especially in the bar band world, playing from 10 to midnight or 10 to close is common. I'm seriously done for the day by then! If I were to go out and boogie 'til the wee hours, my most productive hours would pass with me sleeping.
Knowing full well that today I would have the freedom to sleep in if I wanted and that my various commitments could probably wait were not enough to sway me to the side of going out at ten at night. I have no doubt that it would have been fun, but to not sleep well, or get enough rest on a day off is, for me, the most sure way to either get sick or hate life when I go back to work. Better to err on the side of health, respecting the limits that my physical body imposes. Writing these messages, reaching out across the miles to share this with you is one of my favorite jobs. Encouraging others to think about how to optimize their time off and encouraging others to make hard choices that guarantee better outcomes is a passion of mine. Rather than filling my head with sports facts, I dwell in a reality that revolves around natural cycles, native critters and resources. Learning and teaching about them are far more important than watching "the game".
My most recent work, for money, has taken me to thousands of doors, working to get out the vote; through this work I have gotten to make contact with many, many hundreds of people. It is especially wonderful to get to meet people who I remember from my early days of canvassing (back in the Eighties). Knowing that they have been living out their lives in the same house for generations helps create a sense of continuity in our hectic and often estranged world. Our work-a-day world often undermines our sense that we are indeed part of a neighborhood, a cadre of friends, family and cohorts who are all part of a larger organism we call humanity. Going door to door and looking into homes across the region continues to teach me things about myself and the place I occupy within the world around me. Reaching out to encourage people to participate in our democracy has been a lovely way to remind myself about the fact that I exist as part of a social order and that I have power to make my own decisions about what place in the system I want to occupy.
I could use a few weeks of downtime to let it all sink in, but I'm sure I will be busy trying to make my way in the world again soon enough that I may never fully comprehend the importance of this most recent phase in my "employment history."
Last evening is a perfect example. I saw an old friend, who lives nearby, while visiting with an out of town friend who is just around for the night. He was ready to go out to see some live music, but it was already an hour past bedtime and morning is important enough to me that I did not want to miss it. Going out to see rock and roll used to be one of my favorite things, now I would rather put the garden to bed. I still wish that musicians would play earlier in the evening, so that farmers and early risers could go to shows. In many larger cities, music starts early and they still find ways to fill the venues. Here, especially in the bar band world, playing from 10 to midnight or 10 to close is common. I'm seriously done for the day by then! If I were to go out and boogie 'til the wee hours, my most productive hours would pass with me sleeping.
Knowing full well that today I would have the freedom to sleep in if I wanted and that my various commitments could probably wait were not enough to sway me to the side of going out at ten at night. I have no doubt that it would have been fun, but to not sleep well, or get enough rest on a day off is, for me, the most sure way to either get sick or hate life when I go back to work. Better to err on the side of health, respecting the limits that my physical body imposes. Writing these messages, reaching out across the miles to share this with you is one of my favorite jobs. Encouraging others to think about how to optimize their time off and encouraging others to make hard choices that guarantee better outcomes is a passion of mine. Rather than filling my head with sports facts, I dwell in a reality that revolves around natural cycles, native critters and resources. Learning and teaching about them are far more important than watching "the game".
My most recent work, for money, has taken me to thousands of doors, working to get out the vote; through this work I have gotten to make contact with many, many hundreds of people. It is especially wonderful to get to meet people who I remember from my early days of canvassing (back in the Eighties). Knowing that they have been living out their lives in the same house for generations helps create a sense of continuity in our hectic and often estranged world. Our work-a-day world often undermines our sense that we are indeed part of a neighborhood, a cadre of friends, family and cohorts who are all part of a larger organism we call humanity. Going door to door and looking into homes across the region continues to teach me things about myself and the place I occupy within the world around me. Reaching out to encourage people to participate in our democracy has been a lovely way to remind myself about the fact that I exist as part of a social order and that I have power to make my own decisions about what place in the system I want to occupy.
I could use a few weeks of downtime to let it all sink in, but I'm sure I will be busy trying to make my way in the world again soon enough that I may never fully comprehend the importance of this most recent phase in my "employment history."
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