Bees aren't busty, or at least I've never noticed. But I understand from the saying and from their general whirring that they seem to be busy. Particularly well endowed? I can't say, but they do seem to be a bit full. But I digress. This post after almost a year, has nothing to do with bees or busty-ness, but rather with a certain fullness that our schedules seem to have taken on. The busts and the bees come in only because while hastily typing a message to someone the other day to describe my preoccupied state, I rapidly typed "I am so busty" and pressed the send button. Seconds later a beep alerted me to an amused emoticon and the words "Full of yourself, aren't you!" My razor sharp ability to comprehend things even before they have been said made me realize my literally full-of-it mistake. Most people omit or miss out on things in haste, I obviously add a bit much!
But this has more to do with what my small mistake implies. We've all become much too busy to even check what we're saying. Other than making spelling mistakes, which I take particular offence to, as I have a superiority complex when it comes to my ability to put alphabets in the correct order, I just don't have the mind space to keep up with everything. I haven't baked in ages, I picked up a book after eight months, I miss most of my choir rehearsals, haven't taken a proper holiday in ages, don't notice Mia shredding my socks joyfully under my nose, don't realize Sid has cracked a joke and is laughing hysterically at his own wit, don't get to socialize with my friends too much as I prefer curling up on the couch when I get the chance and do a general moan about how busy I am. I know almost everyone is in the same boat as me, as it just seems to be the way things are in general, but it is interesting to see how different people handle it.
While I tear my hair out and snap that "I can't right now", Sid on the other hand is an absolute marvel when it
comes to handling stress or a generally busy period. He'll be deep in the middle of sorting out his taxes (finance time of the month is generally the time I want to run out of the house screaming) and I will hear the most ridiculous sound coming from his laptop. In fact it sounds suspiciously like an angry bird being launched into the air and hitting some ridiculously green pigs! Further investigation reveals that he is in fact launching birds at pigs! "What? I needed a break!" I look at him in horror, because I would be so tense to finish something, I'd rather keep at it and relax later. Forty five minutes later, he's ordering an ice cream sundae on the phone. "What? I needed something sweet!" He had actually completed his taxes and was on to his next bit of work and also on to his next break! An hour and a half later I walk into the next room and catch him in a swirling haze of fur, locked in fierce battle with Mia who is at her frisky best and indulging in a spot of wrestling. I spot them in mid air as they both come crashing down in a rather spectacular slam, merging into a mutant man-a-dog, two heads sprouting from underneath a pillow, paws and large caveman feet intertwined. I must look astonished because ten minutes ago he was deep in the middle of a deadline to send over a client's photographs. Apparently he's done with that and taking a break. While I'm still banging my head about the hundred things I'm trying to do together, he's done 3 big chunks of time consuming work and looks fresh as a daisy, with a roguish dog pinned under his arm, a smile on his face and the remnants of some chocolate sauce on his cheek (which the dog was now trying to sneakily lick off under the pretence of sudden affection for the brute who had pinned her to the bed). Other than the inspiration Sid took from an article in the Times of India on how one should take a break every 90 minutes in order to be more efficient (he could have written that article to be honest), I realized how calm he generally remains even when he's got a lot on his plate.
I, on the other hand, rant and rave and snap and snarl and just want to get everything done with rather than thinking about it later. Except as we've all realized that there is no escaping 'later'. There will always be 1001 things to finish and launching an angry bird or your dog into the air every now and then won't change that. My general rule has always been to do things outside of work like yoga or dance classes or choir or whatever you want; have a healthy work life balance with socializing, holidaying, etc; try not to look at my blackberry after 8 in the evening (I am addicted so this will probably not happen); not take work calls after 8 or on weekends (which I am getting really good at) and so on. Unfortunately, I fell into a panicked stupor over the last 8 months or so where I've neglected much of what I enjoy in the attempt to keep up with work. I've done ok with that, but like I said I've been a bit too involved in it to enjoy everything else I used to. It's not going to be easy not to stress out about things since I'm a natural at it, but I have to start somewhere. So my much delayed post on this blog is my start; my waking up bleary eyed yesterday after reading a book late into previous night was worth it, and I am going to use my oven after 4 months tomorrow. Also, I'm sure if I walk into the next room right now, I'll be in time to participate in a rather furious wrestling match between man and dog and emerge as a part of magnificent three-headed creature! There's always time for that!
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