My own entry in the Six Word Story Challenge: Shopping
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Month passed. Money left. Shopping allowed.
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Tag: balance
Travel theme: Balance
Photo Challenge: Harmony
Balance
Holiday Rant
When I look at my life, I see all of my days spent at work. Because I have to earn a living, to provide for my sons, to finance their study. To have a roof over our heads, dry and warm. And dinner on the table. While my passion lies in writing and photography. And my energy comes from (and goes to) my sons, my partner, family and friends. My mind wants to dive into books and movies. I am eager to create new dishes and make delicious suppers. To eat healthy, create refreshing fruity smoothies.
Each holiday – like now – I feel myself slowing down and my reservoir filling up again. My muse lifting her head and creativity flowing. I feel ALIVE and in control.
Hell, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life working. Worrying over little things, about loads of e-mails and reoccurring banalities, while I long to be with my family, to spend time on real important matters. To be home. To go out. Go on the most fantastic holidays and see the world, big and small.
But I should not complain. At all! At work I’m surrounded by great folks who have humor and commitment. And the work is with pen and PC, not slaving away in the heat, cold or rain. Where I can speak my mind without fear of repercussions. Where people actually listen, and value my opinion. A job that challenges my abilities. And though I mutter and curse at it at times, I am grateful.
If I were younger, I would have studied a new bachelor Communications. If I could start anew, I would have chosen a different path in my career. I would be out there, in nature, with a camera and notebook. But I’m not. So I’m going to grab the opportunities that life tosses on my path and find my own, meandering way, notwithstanding the demands life makes in a financial way. With honor and respect, commitment and an occasional rant like this one. For we’ve all been given just one life. THIS life. It is yours. Make life worth living, each and every day. For we only have a limited amount of time.
How do you keep your balance between your passions and life’s demands?
My energy boosters:
Night Off
Yesterday was a day I dreaded. After three weeks of holidays, the yoke of work weighed heavily on my shoulders. But you know what? It is all not so bad.
My team is the best team in the whole world, I love these women. They are a little nuts, straight forward and have a great sense of humor. We chat about almost anything: weekends, children, food, men, hobbies, diets, recipes, sex, shopping, relationships. And apart from that, we work like hell! Seeing their smiles and listening to their crazy stories made me happy to be back. Hello university, did you miss me too?
The evenings still offer hours of freedom. The Karate work is over, no more worries about the minutes not being ready before the next meeting. Working on minutes takes hours! The first assignment for my company DutchText – checking a thesis on spelling, grammar and syntax – has been completed to great satisfaction of the client. Now let’s hope the student will graduate. Keeping fingers and toes crossed. The column for the university rests in the editor’s mailbox for the night, publication tomorrow.
So tonight I have a night off. Which means sitting behind my computer, eating salted popcorn and drinking tea. Again television lost the fight. Because I want to be here, with you.
~Marion
Secrets
Life, you amaze me
ejecting originals
of the unknown
into my perception
of non-virtual reality
I must catch these threads
and weave them
within my own tapestry
Spread or cut them
as I see fit
Perspectives change
the patterns of truth
I share or not
to keep others
from harm
Life is living
folding choices
into balance
Trust me enough
to let go
Text © Marion
Sleep Cycle App Without Sleep
A couple of years back, my sleep rhythm was out of control. It was a rhythm, but one without the sleep. Exhaustion would pull me into the arms of the Sandman, only to wake up again at 1 AM, wide awake. Staring at the ceiling, staring at the walls. Turning from one side to the other. Insomnia.
At first it was the divorce that kept me awake, worries over the children. Plus getting up occasionally for sending defense in an online game. Yes I know, totally cuckoo 😉 When things settled down, there was no cause to lie awake anymore. But still my inner clock would react to the tiniest sound, to a random thought, and adrenaline flushed away the sleepiness. Years of two or three hours sleep a night. I tried meditation exercises, natural homeopathic tranquilizers and in the end heavy sleeping pills. Even those could not keep me down.
Three years back things changed. Somehow I found my balance again and was able to sleep six hours in a row. It was the year I also found Vman. Was it coincidence or my restless subconscious finally settling down? No need to analyze, just enjoying the rest. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful partner, precious kids, sweet parents, amazing siblings and great friends. Blessed. I finally found my inner peace.
Until last week, when ‘insomnia’ hit again. But no need to panic, this was my own fault! You see, an iPhone entered my domain, with the most amazing ‘apps’. Yes folks, this Dutchess has apps now! One of the recommended ones is called ‘Sleep Cycle’. This app would register your sleep cycle and wake you in your lightest sleep, max thirty minutes before the specified alarm time. In this way you won’t wake from a deep sleep and feel muggy for the rest of the day. Sounds interesting huh?
The first night would be a night of testing. So I plugged in the phone, clicked on the ‘test’ button and placed the iPhone beside my pillow. Then I lay down, eyes wide open in anticipation. Every time I moved, the iPhone would beep. Hell, it worked alright! Right side – beep. Left side – beep. Onto back – beep. Now START damn you! Nothing happening. Again I checked the settings. Turned it off and back on. Again the test. In the end, I spent the whole night ‘testing’, meaning being beeped at every few minutes to show it was working. Don’t worry, I thought to myself, it is only one night to register my movements.
In the morning I found out that I should have used the timer button after the test. ROFL. But I can easily handle one night without sleep. The next night I chose a nice soothing alarm sound, activated the Sleep Cycle alarm and lay down. Half an hour later I was still awake. What was happening above my head on the mattress? An hour later I checked if it was still working. It was, and so was I. That night I slept twice for a short period of time. My mind was too busy analyzing what was happening. Would it really wake me up ahead of the alarm time? YES it did, even the whole night *grins and shakes her head*
Do I need to tell you that I removed the app in the morning? Now I know when the alarm clock will play its sound. No need to analyze anything. My sleep cycle doesn’t need an external Sleep Cycle. It will regulate itself! 😉
What keeps you up at night?
PS I do realize that far more important issues will keep most people up at night. But I wanted to bring a smile to your face. Have a wonderful weekend all of you.
Figments of a DuTchess 