It’s been a busy week that followed a busy weekend and has another busy weekend ready to follow.
I’m a child of the 60s and 70s.
Oh, come on, you know how old I am.
But, I don’t remember life ever being this busy.
In fact I remember when it was a big deal to stay up until 10:00 watching television, or perhaps struggling through that math homework.
Times change. These days it seems they’re constantly changing.
New technology. New ideas. New products. New conflicts.
In this time of 24/7 everything it can be a bit overwhelming.
I systematically turned off all notifications on my phone except for phone calls, text messages, and work meeting notices that I can’t make disappear.
Even then on the rare nights that I leave the phone on the nightstand I’ll inadvertently be awakened by a reminder of what the next day brings. A birthday, a meeting, a trip.
All things that I’m not going to deal with until the alarm goes off.
That’s why, with rare exceptions, the phone stays in the office down the hall.
Part of me would like to unplug…but then what if I missed something?
What if someone is wrong on the Internet and I need to straighten them out?
Truth is, I don’t worry about that so much anymore. I can’t fix everybody.
Even more truthfully, I can’t fix anybody.
Not the irrational coworker, the child chosing a different path, the lovable but annoying dog.
Not even the Spawns of Satan who leave shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot.
The best part about is, I’m not supposed to be the one to fix people.
Not my calling. Not my job.
I just have to worry about fixing me.
Talk about a 24/7 job.
Still there are times when I’m screaming inside and my greatest accomplishment is keeping my mouth shut.
Is it any wonder that I’m weary? That we’re all weary?
Of course, if we all worked a little harder on controlling our own reactions and words, then maybe listening to other people wouldn’t be so tiring.
Except those shopping cart hoodlums. They may be beyond redemption.
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