As Usual…

Notice I say “I’m allowing”–because I certainly have a choice over what I do when I come home. And lately, I’ve been choosing to work. Granted, I’m working while also watching TV, which isn’t the most effective, I know.

Regardless, for the past two weeks, if I’m home, my computer is on and I’m working on something, be it lesson planning or grading or sending emails.

Last week as I worked, I watched Ken Burns’ documentary about the Roosevelts. It was fascinating, and if you have the chance to catch it somehow, you totally should. I could take away a million lessons form the 14-hour film series, but here’s probably what I need to take away most:

I need to stop.

As World War II raged for the last part of FDR’s presidency, he still took time every day to do what he enjoyed. Stamp collecting, reading, cavorting with mistresses, it really didn’t matter as long as he took some time each day to do something for himself.

This really struck me, because as a wartime president, I’m sure he could have allowed his work to take over his life. But he didn’t. Every day, pockets of time were his and only his, to do as he pleased.

It’s newspaper deadline time for me, and luckily I figured out last year that if kids come in for a few hours on Saturday, I’m not staying at school every night for a week. Just Monday and Tuesday. I spent five hours at school on Saturday, and tonight I left school around 8 p.m. I still have scads of work I should be doing. 

But instead, I wrote this little post, and after I put together tomorrow’s lunch and dinner, I’m going to crawl into my snuggly bed, read a comic book, and I hope, fall asleep much earlier than I did last night.

(Don’t worry Stueve–I will make sure the comic book is put back in its protective sleeve and placed on a shelf before falling asleep.)

If FDR can take an hour or two for himself while managing a war, certainly I can take some time for myself while managing things of much less consequence. In fact, I’d be willing to bet my very survival requires me to do so.