Day Ten
Tough to fit
this in today, not because of motivation but because I just have so much to
do. Ah yes that common refrain of 21st
Century living. Telling everyone who
wants (and does not want) to hear just how busy we are. It is like a badge of pride these days I
think. “I am SO busy” I think is really
a statement about “I do have a really valuable life and I am important because
I have just so much to do”. I do not
think this happens in a conscious way. Perhaps it is driven from fear, after
all what does it mean to say “Oh I am not busy at all, nothing much of
consequence to do, you know, take a nap, read some shit, write a crappy blog”.
We all know
that we seem to be working harder, longer.
That we are more connected to our work through technology. We are always
there for email and calls and replies and so on. It has got so bad that now we talk of ‘screen
free days’ and 'mobile detox' or ‘going dark for the holiday’, just so people know that we are ok
and that our being missing online is not a sign there is something wrong.
Which brings
me back to where I started I guess, being busy today because I am traveling
this weekend. I have to prepare and pack
for a trip back to the UAE for an exhibition and some meetings and a
symposium. ('I can feel your sympathy' he wrote ironically). Does that disclosure now make this post into the type of statement I highlighed above, about how important I am? I hope not.
Much to do and as ever I have
procrastinated (yes see my post about moving to Finland on Day Five) so now I
have ironing to do and a presentation to prepare and online check in and lots of
silly little chores to do before I get my train tomorrow.
I have developed
a love hate relationship with travel over the last three years. It used to be much more love than hate. Some of my favourite quotes are about travel -
“People have feet, trees have roots” answered
Buckminster Fuller on being asked about why so many of his house designs were
mobile. I use that one from time to time, to try and explain my own aversion to putting down roots. I also use the one from St Augustine shown below –
 |
| I use this quote a lot to justify my behaviour! |
Yet over the
last few years that has changed a bit as the time spent on security procedures
and other issues increased. Maybe I am
just becoming a grumpy old man, or the novelty of flying and travel is waning,
or perhaps because so much of my travel now is for work rather than
pleasure. Perhaps that last one is important
because it does make a difference to the stress level to know that you have
meetings and presentations to give and that people expect results. Thus I do not really ever ‘relax and enjoy
the flight’ but rather read through papers and articles and check slides and so
on.
And I hate
packing! Did I mention that? This is the main reason I procrastinate so
badly at packing, on one famous occasion for a trip from Dubai to the UK, I
only started packing about 30 minutes before I was due to leave to the airport
to check in. Hard to say why I hate it so
much and it bugs me so much, but it does.
Not just for travel but also for moving house. Oh yes – like when we moved house here last
summer. Not quite sure what that is
about and if it is only me. But I have
issues there! Which I guess is why I am
here writing this, even after exceeding 500 words – when I should be
packing! OK, enough, goodbye for now.
Mark it is always a pleasure reading your post. I kind of envy you for this ability to write about almost anything.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about this detox thing...I actually love it when I am on a holliday...in summer...for a longer period and realize that I havent seen my phone or computer in days. Life in slow motion! Love it!
About packing....I can give you some ex flight attendant tips anytime.
I have managed to pretty much isolate myself from Facebook. It has taken several false starts and setbacks. I think the main problem is that I wanted to share things with people. I would remove facebook from my phone and then put it back a few days later because I had a picture I wanted to post and it was easier on the phone than elsewhere. Then I would end up spending hours looking at my feed.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe it was because last week I really got stuck into my other work and did find myself with much time to waste? Which takes us to your other point. I think that there are many categories of 'busy'. And some of them are busier than others.
I have taken another approach and just accept that Facebook is part of my life, at work it is used not only for promotion but also for internal communication with private group pages and so on. The group pages have become a major part, almost as much as the general stream. So I have student cohort groups and colleague groups and then the pages I manage and so on - so Facebook is really even a part of what I am paid for.
DeleteI will take up that offer of advice Virpi. My problem is not about not knowing what to pack, but rather that I hate doing it so much that I delay and delay and then finally have to do it in a few minutes and get stressed and run out the door! Sad but true. Not sure why I hate it/
ReplyDelete