Vacationful

My kids are determined to do all sorts of exciting things on their vacation. We are not away, as I am working, but nonetheless, they have no intention of letting this time slip by without their accomplishing great things.

As I struggle to keep up with their wants and needs (between the naps I have to take to survive working overnights), I remind them that not every vacation can be wall-to-wall fun-filled. But then, I think of all the uneventful days I took off from One Life to Live (or any job, for that matter). The truth is, there have been very few of them. As a freelancer (i.e., a person who makes money only when she works), I have for years remained reluctant to take off days just to sit around. On the contrary, days off have been for occasions, for appointments, and for parent-teacher conferences. They have been for trips for some or all of us. They have been when I was too sick (and that's pretty sick) to work.

And so, perhaps it is not that surprising that my kids are looking for more than just down-time from their busy schedules. They are looking for the full value of their time off, whether that means seeing friends or exploring places off their beaten track. There will be time for just time--for now, I guess they figure there are better things to do.

Have they been listening to or watching me all these years? Or is it simply seeing friends on vacation? Are they destined to become tied-to-their-work freelancers, as I have been, or will they actually be better at taking time just for the sake of time?

I grab a coffee and muster the energy to up the vacation game. And maybe along the way, I am learning a little bit from them about using time to the fullest when I have it...