play date

There is something sadistic about the first day back to work after vacation. The comments of “you look rested” make me recall visiting ex-coworkers from my first real job a year after my departure. After the zillionth gasp followed by exclamations of “YOU LOOK LIKE A DIFFERENT PERSON!!!” I realized just how much stress I had worn on my face during the four years spent with that company. Then there is the catch-up factor. In previous work lives, I dreaded stacked up mail, the messages scribbled on the message pad, and items for review in my “in” box. That was tame in comparison to the hundreds of voice and e-mails waiting for me to pick them up in addition to stacked up mail, the messages scribbled on the message pad, and items for review in my “in” box. And last but not least and not really last but for now it will be is all the news that’s fit or not to print that you need to be told…and some of it ain’t that good. “Oy vey!,” I say as I plop down in my chair and try to keep that crease that erased itself last week from etching itself across my forehead less than three minutes after I walked in the door from just five days away.

Upon return from my week long holidays (don’t you just love that word instead of vacation?), I’ve learned to take five and be still before I press the re-entry buttons when I get back to the office. Closing my eyes to do a play time remix is the Botox my brow requires to keep it smooth for just a little longer and all work and no play is the mantra track rockin’ in the background. I am a player. I believe in having a good time, taking good care of myself, enjoying life with people who know how to kick it. When I am off, I’m off. I no longer log on, check in or concern my time-off-self with what I took off time to get a few days rest from. My holiday is spent playing which for me ranges from the serious to the silly. Serious play could equate to striping down to climb on the table for a hot stone massage; having a bat and ball or jacks competition leads to the silly. The in between stuff -- priceless.

When, in the game of life, is the no more play card dealt? I sit on a committee whose sole purpose is to explore ways to keep real interacting-with-other-kids play in the lives of children and often remind the adults around the table that we too need to create our own dates to play. Last evening after 48 hours of a brow raising, eye blinking return to work after a week off, I welcomed an evening of play with both old and new friends and was told there is a good time revolution brewing…and it won’t be televised!

So grab that get out of jail free card and revolt! Play hard, play often, no cheatin’ and…

keep your peepers open! ®

the above image was created by me and is entitled pleasure principal...thought that she was the perfect compliment for this topic; the photo was taken by Greg Staley