Then and there

My body clock still hasn't readjusted to this time zone. Yawns creep in after dinner and by 8:30 pm my eyelids are falling down and I must away to bed. I often find myself awake around 2:30 am, and usually get out of bed even though I'm still tired. I do that because willing oneself to sleep is a frustrating and sometimes depressing activity that often ends in futility. This probably gives me a taste of what D lives with every day. His shifts begin at inconsistent hours and his life schedule constantly requires tailoring. If I keep a low profile until I recover, however, it's really problematic for the world at large. As long as the cat gets fed, I suppose.

I've been letting a little bit of exercise into my day. Yoga at home on Sunday, then a run on Monday morning after a fitful sleep. It was a very pleasant experience, that morning run. The air was warm, and I was excited to be on the path for the first time this season. In shorts!

Last night I did the P90X legs workout, followed by a 15-minute ab routine that I couldn't complete entirely! For one thing, it's been a while since my last attempt. The only work I've been doing with my abs lately has focused solely on expansion, haha! Another reason is that it is really hard! I might follow the lead of the Gaz, and attempt an abs workout three times per week. I always find that legs + abs routine challenging and fulfilling. And it basically puts me to bed from exhaustion. I really need that right now in my off-the-clock life.

~ and now for something completely different ~

I had time today to listen to the new Beck record - I enjoy its gentle moodiness - and read some excerpts online from a book called, What Should I Do With My Life?. It's a collection of stories crafted from interviews with people who made career decisions. It's really that simple. The people don't sound all that unusual and their jobs don't really stand out. I didn't read about anyone who hopped from a job as sandwich artist to that of a scientist, and then three years later discovered a cure. No, nothing that unorthodox. Quitting a job as a bank exec to become a social worker - that was a story, and it's not unheard of. I think it actually happens a lot.

The decisions and paths followed made the stories come alive. The stories followed different routes but echoed some common themes, like following your heart, or finally understanding what you really want to do and then pursuing it, even when the result will be making less money, going against parental wishes, or battling your own core beliefs about what work means and what it should do for you (pay your bills, provide for others, allow you to afford luxuries, and so on). 

Clearly, many people feel stuck. Although that's a sad thread, the author's final message is positive. The world is a rich and intriguing place flowing with opportunities; if you are curious and reach out, with practice you will not be stuck forever.

A colleague told me that she had decided to attend art school in her youth "because there was nothing else to do." Art school was on her radar. It's not on everyone's. It wasn't on mine, yet now we're in the same place, working together. The story of how we arrived is more interesting than the act of being there.