A Day about Nothing

Thinking about my November resolution, and having nothing terribly pressing on the agenda, I tried to do nothing for a day.

I rose at 7, but stayed in pajamas until 11:30, reading Friday's and Saturday's newspapers, drinking coffee and eating waffles. I did check email, post a journal entry and make waffles, but that was it. At 8:15 I had to hold onto the edge of the table and will myself not to dress and run out the door to a studio cycling class at the rec. centre. But I made it. Phew! The power of an endorphin addiction is really something.

After taking a shower I took the dog for a long, slow walk at noon. Then I cooked lunch and ate with the kids, who were also in slo-mo mood. My husband was still asleep, having worked overtime through Friday night. After lunch I made a list of all of the chores, errands and housecleaning that need to get done. Then I put the list away.

I worked a bit on my two new poems...still picking through recycling bins and junk discarded along the roadway of my psyche, but it's stuck down on paper so I can do something with it when it gels. I made a couple of friendly phone calls and checked email once more. A day that is normally very quick began to slow down. From where did all of this time come?

My daughter had to watch Remember the Titans for a school assignment (watch the movie and write a paragraph on one character explaining why he or she is a good leader). So I made a cup of coffee and sat on the couch and watched the whole darn thing. Husband got up and joined us.

There were balls of dog fur on the floor, a pile of bills waiting to be paid, diminishing stocks of home-made wine running up to Christmas, Halloween decorations still on display in the carport. I did nothing about any of them. At supper time I re-heated pizza and chicken wings from Friday's supper for the kids, then took my husband out for a birthday supper at The Flying Fish Cafe. When we got home I did not make up for my laziness by picking up even one sock off the floor. I stayed in my nice "out for supper" clothes until early bedtime and continued to do nothing.

It was nice. Nobody died. The family really enjoyed seeing me not as a blur. We talked and relaxed. I can do this.

So maybe I will try to have a nothing day once a month for starters. Maybe I can even fit in two for November. There's a long weekend coming up, after all.

Question: If a mom sits stills, does anybody hear her?

mompoet: slightly de-velocitized