As I head out for a much-anticipated two-week vacation, I’m reminded of how important these time-outs are to most working people (and that includes the unpaid people who also toil at home.)
Whether you slug it out in a factory or strain your brain in a think tank, time away from the everyday grind is critical.
It provides a chance to rest, rejuvenate and recharge those important internal batteries that enable us to get up every day and make the trek into our jobs.
I remember a vacation, many years ago, when I realized about 100 miles into my journey, I’d forgotten my watch. In conversation with my sister (first stop on the trip) she reminded me I was on vacation and time was of little consequence. She told me to relax and spend my time enjoying every minute, not counting them.
At the time I was working as a radio producer and every second was carefully scripted, even trips to the washroom had to be closely timed.
By the end of the vacation I couldn’t care less about wearing a watch.
That changed when I realized I was usually late getting my children to various events and was becoming known as tardy.
Now, with deadlines more closely connected to days rather than minutes, I’ve again abandoned my watch. There’s plenty of clocks in this world to keep me loosely on track.
Other than an occasional ferry schedule I must keep, this trip is about going where I want and arriving when I get there. Mindful of the worriers in my world, I will stay close enough to my estimated time of arrival so no one calls the police, but if a roadside attraction appeals to me I might just stop for a few moments. How many? That will be determined by how the spirit moves me.
So, take the time to heals the wounds of a hectic life, prepare for the next year of dedication and job expectations and make memories that will sustain you through winter and get you to your next vacation.
–Annie Gallant, Cariboo Observer
