good grief, it's cold!

Holy Great Mother of God...it's freezin' out there! I can't believe just how cold it is down here in duckpin (ugh) country. This is really the first year I've had real trouble with the cold, so I'm hoping that doesn't mean I'm getting old! Damn, I just took the trash out, while wearing a sweater and my ski jacket, and I still froze my "you know whats" off.

Nevertheless, Christmas is staring us right in the face, and it gives me pause--if only for a few moments--to reflect on the business of our lives. Collectively, we've become a 24-hour, worldwide society that never sleeps. Read any commentary on social trends and you’ll see the ubiquitous term “time-poor”. The populist view is that we’re all time-poor and it’s affecting every aspect of our lives. Advertisers have embraced the concept wholeheartedly. We read publications online because we’re time-poor. We buy takeout because we’re time-poor. How did this happen, anyway?

Time-poor is just one term of many that has become part of our vernacular when describing the pace of modern society. Over recent years, the equally ubiquitous term “work-life balance” has emerged as THE buzz phrase to describe the increased pressure on time-poor workers. Who decided anyway that “work” comes before “life”? As well as being time-poor we’re also “juggling”. We’re juggling busy schedules and lifestyles. We’re juggling work and family. We’re juggling “competing roles”. We’re so busy juggling we don’t take annual leave, as a recent report suggested. Juggle, juggle, juggle.

But best of all is the trend of how we love talking about how busy we are! Don’t on any account ask someone how he or she is. The response will probably be along the lines of “I’m so busy”, “I’ve had such a busy day”, “I’ve got so much going on”. I’m now tempted when people say this to respond with, “Let me save you time then if you’re so busy, just cut out the %&##@ and get to the point.”

On the whole, we need to slow down. I know *I* do. We don't have time for what's important anymore; hell, we don't have time for what's trivial anymore. It seems as though we're wrapped up with getting the right gift, going to each and every holiday party, doing this and that. The holidays slip by and we wonder where they went!

Take my fiancee, for instance. She's out at her "umpteenth" school holiday party tonight as she also tries to finish up her master's thesis proposal, buy presents for her family, plan lessons, get her car fixed, work out, plan her part of the wedding and then try to stay organized and sane. It just doesn't work...things get left out. We haven't had a lot of time to just "be" this December, and at times it weighs on me. But I can't figure out how to make her slow down...and I wish I could.

Personally, I think it should be mandatory to stop and relax at this time of year...yet we don't. Hell, the malls here in CT here packed---during not one but ice storms! Is finding the perfect gift something one should risk life over? I don't think so.

My shopping is about done (just waiting for presents to come in the mail), and this week is about spending time with my students...in a quasi-academic setting (doing community service in school and enjoying/discussing the season). It's about watching my son get excited and looking forward to seeing my family again. It's about hope, peace, love and contentment. Yeah, it's a cliche, but look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong.

Here's hoping this Christmas is the best one you've had yet!

Bowling continues to go well--a nice 344 last week. This week, I'm taking Wednesday off to be with my students during their concert. Wish me luck Thursday!