Taking A Break

It's all my fault.

I have a job where it is tough to just shut it down because my clients are always working and there are a number of people involved so it's tough to take a day off while informing everyone not to call.

So...for six years (taking a few days off for surgery recoveries)...I just figured it was better off if I just got up and went to work.

I needed to eventually take a break.

My legs were crying out and mentally...I was beat.

It took my boss to say:

"That's it! You aren't working next week!"

Weird.

I know.

But to tell the God's honest truth...I don't know how to shut things down.

My mind works like this:

"What do I have to do today?"

When I get through the list I think:

"What else can I get done?"

My boys and my beautiful wife have long since learned to just let things slide because I'll eventually do it.

"You write books for fun," Sam is fond of saying. "We figure that you'll eventually get to emptying the laundry baskets."

So.

I had to convince myself of the following things:

"Just sit here."

"Don't worry about making a list."

"It doesn't have to get done."

To make the transition to lazy town. I afforded myself a couple of tasks each day.

I also caught up on Family Guy and Homeland.

I cooked each meal as I wanted to cook them.

Slowly.

Cooking relaxes me. Writing relaxes me.

I would do both things...but not be insane about them.

I would quit when I started to feel that drive kick in.

And it's only mid-week as this blog hits the Internet.

I'm still honestly worried that I'll do something stupid like start to care too much about something and set off on working on something too hard.

I even put a message on my phone telling people that I might not call them right back!

And I know it's weird.

And I wonder if mental help is needed.

I envy people who can just set things aside for awhile and have fun.

"Work is fun to you," my doctor explained to me as I limped into his office one day. "That's okay too. But once in awhile, cut yourself a break. The world will keep spinning if you're sitting on the couch watching Quincy."

He knows me pretty well.

So.

Quincy it is this week.

Glad it's only on for an hour a day.