Tag Archives: journal

Productive Gene

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I have a to-do list (actually, it’s in my mind – can’t write make a to-do list on a to-do list) that is expansive. You know how when you know time off is coming and you start putting things off till you reach the precious space where miraculously you will complete everything? I’ll open up that piece of mail tomorrow, I can read that article next week, I’ll respond to that email in a couple of days. Delay, put off, file – we all do this –right?

That’s where the presidents come in. Huh? You see I have this week off as for New York City Schools it is not Presidents’ Day but Presidents’ Week.  I think celebrating the 44 men who have held this most powerful position really does require a week. Actually, I heard that as part of the City’s fiscal crisis in the 1970’s, they began shutting schools Presidents’ Week (I believe it had something to do with the cost of heating the schools as well – ironic then that the forecast calls for temperatures to hit the mid 50’s this week).

So, now, ironically, the pressure is on: work on those delayed projects, spend time with family/friends, clean up, and catch up on movies.  Oh yeah, I also have to relax and let go of the pent up stress. I think I might need another week. Yes, I know that is not coming, and I don’t want to sound ungrateful. Of course, when I get to next Sunday night, there will still be some items not checked off. I used to feel a sense of frustration and disappointment when items were left unchecked on my list. Why was I unproductive? Why don’t I manage my time better?  For years, I used to think it wasn’t so much that I overbooked or my expectations were too grand but that I simply did not manage my time well.  I felt as if something was wrong with me. I think the productive gene runs in my family. I often hear my mom complain about herself saying she moves too slowly (now, granted, she is 70 plus years old and doesn’t move like she once did, but still does a great deal).  Now, in terms of long term health, the productive gene is one that you should wish for.  

So, the week off will end. I will get a lot done. I will wish I got a lot more done.  That’s the nature of the beast. I’ll wonder aloud to my wife – if she hasn’t started snoring yet – if I was productive enough – ponder the plusses and minuses.  There’s always next week.

Utilize Your Skills Kids

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There’s a job out there for everyone.  I am not saying that as a political statement, and I recognize that real unemployment is about 15%.  However, everyone has been blessed with a skill that when found can be utilized in a work setting.  Some of us are teachers or lawyers or electricians or accountants or chefs, etc.  You know a ‘standard’ type of job. However, some people have jobs that leave you wondering how do you get a job like that?

I think the first real job other than cowboy or basketball player that many little boys dream of is to be a bat boy.  Didn’t every little boy think it was cool to go to every game and meet the players? Remember the scene in The Natural where Roy Hobbs’s (Robert Redford) bat, Wonderboy, gets destroyed. Roy asks the batboy to pick out a winner and the batboy gives the player his own homemade bat, the Savoy Special. On the next pitch, Roy hits the game-winning home run. You had to love that kid. 

There are other jobs that really look great. Where do you get an application to be a taste tester for Hersheys?  How about the person who lays on beds to make sure they are comfortable enough?    

How many times have you heard a parent tell you their child would just be perfect at – you fill in the profession – when their child is barely out of diapers?  All parents wonder and hope for the future of their child.  Will little Sally be a productive citizen one day?  Will little Johnny be able to support his family?  Will he/she find something interesting that utilizes his/her skills? I know I am not the only parent who has thought that for their child.  Well, I have come up with the perfect job for my younger son. Now, he has mentioned that he wanted to be a soccer player. but I don’t see that happening.  He is chubby, has poor balance, and shies away from contact. I, however, have a job for him that is certainly out of the ordinary. It utilizes his penchant for drama. I appreciate the drama when he sings and does a jig because we are having macaroni and cheese for dinner – not so much when he falls apart if we have a contest and he doesn’t get a prize.  

Anyway, the job I have in mind is perfect for him.  You know in those melodramatic movies when the village is being destroyed, there is always a blood-curdling scream. My son is perfect for that. He could add words to go with the scream. He is especially adept at adding “MOOOOMMMMMYYYYYY!!!”  He can pretty much do it on cue. Today, he let out a scream that shook the house. He can go from silence to scream in .02 seconds. By the way, he also does tears which are equally convincing.

So, parents take heart. My blessing to you is that your child should one day find the perfect job to fit his/her talents. Now, where do you think you can find a job listing on www.monster.com for a blood curdling screamer?

Blah, Blah, Blah

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Blah, blah, blah.  Not even chocolate tastes that good.  What’s up?  I don’t know. Everything is fine.  No blues or reds or greens – just grey. Plain low-fat oatmeal.  I’m not going anywhere with this. I don’t know what is going on. I’ve had this feeling for a little while now, and I don’t know why.  I’d like to blame it on January. I hate January. I wrote a whole story about my feelings for this month. It was quite witty, and I do say so myself.  While this January has been on the warm side, there is still the darkness. I told my wife I may have S.A.D. She laughed – thanks Florence Nightingale.  She’s probably right.  Depression can stem from a chemical imbalance and is a serious issue. Thankfully, while I may suffer from an imbalance, it’s not chemical. Thus, I can’t be labeled. Yes, I’ve had the blahs before, but who hasn’t?  However, there is no trend.  

Life has not been terrible – far from it.  Firstly, you got the basics – health – family and meü, working/paying the billsü, house ü. My family and I recently went away for the night. My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.  Bruce Springsteen released a new single, an album is on the way, and tour dates have been announced.  All good things that should contribute to a joyous contented me.  Yup, yup, yup.

I don’t know what to do. Maybe, there is nothing to do about it. Maybe it’s okay to be a little sad, bummed, or depressed.  There was an Everybody Loves Raymond episode where Raymond discovers that Debra likes to be by herself sometimes and have a good cry every once in a while. She is convinced it is a good cleansing while he thinks she is unhappy. Funny episode.  Anyway, I am not suggesting that. It sounds pretty feminine to me and besides, I’m not much of a crier.  Our society places so much emphasis on – must be busy, must be happy. However, I think it is natural to feel a little down every once in a while. I read a book about optimism and the psychologist noted that everyone gets down at times. However, optimists bounce back quicker.  Therefore, I’ll continue living and a remedy will avail itself.  After all, I believe happiness is a choice.  As part of my treatment and desire for happiness, I’ll keep right on eating that chocolate. You never know which piece might do the trick. I’m a good patient.

Space

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Do you ever look at the real estate section?  Nearly every classified listing of a property notes that it is spacious. The property could be next to a dump, an after hours club, or a prison but if it has space then well, you have to consider it. We all want space. I need my space – don’t get too close.  Space – the final frontier.  Give me space.

My wife’s elderly aunt is, unfortunately, unable to care for herself. She is in a home and seems happy there. The aunt, who is in her 90’s, lost her husband last Spring.  The couple, who met at a dance when they were in their late 40’s, was married for nearly 40 years.  For their whole lives as a couple, they shared a studio apartment in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. They knew the doormen and raved about how wonderful they were every time the subject was remotely broached. These same doormen became surrogate caretakers as the couple grew more frail.

While they were past having kids, the couple took great joy in their families including their nieces and nephews. Both of them, however, shared a true love and passion for Manhattan. They prided themselves on walking and went everywhere in the city.  Along their travails, the couple picked up a lot of stuff – programs from Rangers games, restaurant menus, and newspaper clippings. They were collectors – scrapbooks, letters, pictures – you get the idea. Well, remember, they were in a studio which even an over-zealous real estate agent would not describe as spacious (prime location would have to suffice).  So, the small studio seemed smaller due to the clutter that comes from a hoarder in a small space.  My wife and other family members have been painstakingly going through the many collections struggling to decide what to save and what to throw away.  It has been an emotional journey.

So while many of us pine for more space – an addition would be so nice – for our various gadgets and things, this elderly couple is one to think on. They had a small space with way too much stuff.  However more importantly, they never complained about their not so spacious apartment because it had enough room for each other. Memo to self: space for others is the most important space and don’t save the old bills.