Watching Paint Dry

Disclaimer: I don't think my job is a waste of time. I know that kids are a wothwhile thing to invest time in.

That being said, today left me with some things to think about. It was the first day of Fall Break and I (stupidly) agreed to help my mother paint her house. She's like me in that she likes to frequently change colors and decor and room arrangements. Her bedroom has been at least four different colors in the two and a half years I've been home from college. I really don't mind helping, but painting is kind of hard. At least, it's harder than I thought.

Anyway, my point is that we got a lot done today. We went to Home Depot. We went out to breakfast. We primed the room. We moved furniture. We painted the room. We put furniture back. We went to dinner.

Then, I realized something I like about Fall Break: I get to watch House when it comes on at 7pm!!! I realized also that on a normal Monday I would still be in class.

It just seemed crazy to me that this day and everything in it took up the same amount of time as every Monday. I slept in. I ate leisurely meals. I watched tv. Where do all my hours go on a normal Moday? It just makes me feel like my job is eating up all this time and I never even notice it.

There was one point today when we had finished priming the wall and my mom was picking up some supplies. I wiped down the wall and sat there on the floor staring at the white wall. I don't know how long I sat there, but it felt good.

And that is what I miss the most in my busy life. I miss moments that are still and long in the middle of the day. Maybe that is what people mean when they talk about stopping to smell the roses.

I guess whatever time I have in my day is what I make of it. I just don't usually stop ever on days that I work. Maybe I need to change that.