Monday, January 17, 2005
St. Productivity
I have been sitting at my computer for some time now, sending emails, reading Rick's blog, reading Gage's blog, reading Dag's blog, booking plane -- tickets, and other stuff, but I am consumed by this all-pervasive feeling that I should be doing something else.
There are always things to be done that seem somehow more important or necessary than what I'm doing. There is always schoolwork, reading, laundry, the gym, cleaning the kitchen, writing a letter, making a phone call, or doing something else I promised someone I would do. It's getting to the point where no matter what I'm doing, even if it's something completely useful and productive, like finishing my reading for tomorrow's classes, I feel like I OUGHT TO, SHOULD BE, REALLY NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT, DAMMIT I GOTTA GET TO doing something else.
Perhaps it is a fundamental aspect of our society that we feel it's necessary to be in a constant state of self-induced productivity. We should really make a shrine for Productivity and always capitalize His name. He is our God, after all. And what a travesty it has become.
I often think to myself how many songs have been written by and about people asking their lovers to come back to bed. A few that come to mind right away are Jewel's Morning Song, John Mayer's Come Back To Bed, and those Sara Connor and Beach Boys songs. There are many others, of course. And think of all the movie scenes where people are trying to convince each other to stay in bed a bit longer. There are a lot of them. These kinds of scenes are pretty common in fiction, as well.
Then I think about the countless times I've been in that position -- wanting more than anything in the world to stay in a warm and cozy world of love and cuddles but knowing that I really ought to get up and be PRODUCTIVE! (this word must be said in a loud and gruff and preferably masculine voice)
It all makes me very sad, because bowing to the God of Productivity just prevents us from enjoying the moments we really should be enjoying in our lives. We need to stop beating ourselves up for procrastinating and start celebrating those of us who have the ability to shut off the "coulda woulda shoulda" mechanisms and just ENJOY!
I'm not recommending meditation. I find that truly obnoxious. But the next time you'd rather watch an episode of the Simpsons, play a mindless computer game, have some decent sex, or stay in bed for another hour than say, get up and organize the garage -- I say: DO IT!
And don't beat yourselves up afterwards either.
End of rant.
-N
p.s. and on that note I will go be hypocritical and finish folding my laundry when really I would like to lie in the middle of my pile of socks and go to sleep.
