I often hear the phrases 'no time', or 'I gotta go' or 'I am in a rush'. Why is everyone always running against time, or running out of time? People's lives are loaded with so many activities these days.
I myself used these phrases lavishly when I was working in India. I also had a ton of things to do or take care of always, and being in a job that involved continuous interaction with people didnt make it any easier. I used to long -- for some peace and quiet, for some time alone to check email in private, for those good old days when I would lie on my bed with my eyes closed and listen to my favourite songs, for a tea break and gossip when its raining outside, for some time to express my creativity, for an extra hour of sleep on weekends! What I would give to get that extra time, I used to think.
Lo and behold -God granted my wish! He got me married, transported me across the seas and put me in the United States. 'Here you go', he said, 'I give you one whole year of time and its upto you what you make of it'.
I was thrilled to bits thinking of all the wonderful things I could do with my new found freedom. No one, emphasis 'NO ONE' could tell me what to do or when to do it. I was, the master of my destiny and my time. The initial days were spent watching tv, lazing about, learning how to cook and sleeping to my heart's content. Soon I joined the gym and my husband & I made fitness a part of our life. This was followed by an eventful move to a new apartment. Setting up the new place kept me excited for about a month. Then I discovered the amazing public library near my apartment - I mean, it was a bus ride away, neverthless it close enough to motivate me to get good books to read. Between reading books I always did something on the creative side. My family ended up being the guinea pigs - every occassion and opportunity to give gifts was used and I deeply satisfied myself doing the things I longed to do. I used to have this secret desire to watch almost every movie that released, the trailers would just tempt me - and so I fulfilled that dream as well until the point I have got bored of new releases and am back to watching old select ones for now. Inevitably though, some days would be a drag. I would email a ton of friends, talk to my folks on the phone incessantly, watch my favourite tv shows and still be bored. Such days used to make me think that too much of anything is never good for anyone - from super-busy to at-home-housewife, I had to make an extreme transition. In a day or two though, I'd be back in my spirits, always bounding with energy and overflowing with ideas and plans. Fitness played (and still does) a very important role in my everyday life, books enriched my knowledge, recipes blogs made me a better cook and my own blog itself made me feel like a writer of sorts.
I still call people on the phone when I am bored and want an ear - and when I hear 'I gotta go', I reluctantly hang up and turn to youtube for entertainment.
Pretty soon though, my waiting ends and I'll be getting back to work. Boy, do I look forward to a hectic schedule and saying to people 'Can I call you back, am a little busy right now?'
