A Do-Nothing Kind of Day

I played hookey from work today. Well, technically, I didn't. I let all the proper people know I wasn't going to be in. I followed all the procedures for being sure my students knew not to show up since I wasn't going to be there. And I didn't feel one ounce of guilt for taking the day off.

Years ago, if I had to cancel class because I was sick or one of the kids was sick, I felt guilty. I'd grown up with the work ethic of you go to work. Period. No excuses. I watched my dad go to work even when he would get one of his terrible headaches that made him sick to his stomach and barely able to keep his eyes open. The only relief he got was by sitting on the floor next to his bed and laying his head against the quilt. I saw my dad get into the car during a blizzard, determined to drive to work 30 miles away, only to get stuck a half mile down the road from the house and have to hike back, upset he wasn't going to be able to make it in that day. I don't have one memory of my dad taking a day off just to take the day off.

I used to be like my dad. I used to go to work no matter what. A couple of years ago, though, after going yet another school year without using the personal days I'm allowed, and those personal days being moved over into the sick days category (which now sports enough time to take nearly an entire school year off), I decided I'm going to use the personal days whenever I feel I need a day to just sit and do nothing. Every now and then I find myself just not in the mindset I know I need to be in to really do my job well, so I use a personal day to take a breather. Yesterday, I could feel the need for a breather coming on, so I decided to cash in one of the personal days, take today off, and do nothing.

Nothing started out by having breakfast with Hubby, then taking Ado for a nice walk. Nothing then forced me to fulfill the old "Stupid Movie Monday" tradition Lovely Beautiful Daughter and I started years ago by making me watch a LMN flick. After that, nothing suggested I sit and talk with Funny Delightful Son for awhile. Not finished with me, nothing had me meet up with Funny Delightful Son for the 1 pm showing of Kingsmen (thoroughly enjoyed it). Not long after returning home from the movie, nothing shoved me back out the door to go work out with Hubby over at the university. Satisfied with my time spent on the spin cycle, the treadmill, and the stair stepper, nothing agreed I could sit and watch an episode of "Tiny House Living" (or something like that) followed by "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" (she does cry at times throughout the show, so I'm not convinced she really thinks her life is fabulous). Now, nothing is better than hanging out on the bed with Max and Ado.

I have two more personal days for the rest of the semester, and I'm definitely going to take them. I might use one for the Monday after spring break, just to stretch break one more day. I might use the other the Thursday before the endurance ride in May, just to give me one last day to prepare for my first venture into cycling nonstop for 12 hours. But who knows. I'm just thankful I have the personal days and can use them when I feel the need for a day to just sit and do nothing

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