Which has higher priority in your life, work or play? Play comes first for me, which doesn’t mean I never do anything that someone else would call work. It’s just I try to enjoy what ever I’m doing as much as possible. As they say, life is short. Way too short not to enjoy it for those of us with one foot in the grave the other on a banana peel. 🙂
Practicing What I Preach
I was going to publish this post this morning, but I received this e-mail from my web host:
Dear Jean:
Your web hosting account for cheerfulmonk.com has been deactivated, as of 06/17/2010. (reason: terms of service violation – malware/virus)
This deactivation was due to a Terms of Service violation associated with your account. At sign-up, all users state that they have read through, understand, and agree to our terms. These terms are legal and binding.
Although your web site has been suspended, your data may still be available for up to 15 days past the date of deactivation; however, if you do not contact us, after this time, your account and all of its files, databases, and emails will be deleted.
If you feel this deactivation was made in error, or in order to gain access to your account, please call our customer service line as soon as possible at (866) 573-4678.
It reminded me of the old joke,
One little A-bomb can ruin your whole weekend.
Needless to say, I canceled most of my plans for the day and worked on getting this mess straightened out. In spite of the unfriendly tone of the e-mail I wasn’t worried. In the past HostMonster’s technical support has been great. I knew they could tell me what to do and that I had enough background to understand what they were saying. It took time but it was a bit of an adventure and good mental exercise. Given the subject of this week’s post, could I have taken any other attitude? 🙂
What about you? How important is play to you? How successful are you in integrating it into your everyday life?
My day (yesterday) was bad too.
I saw a pan of bleach water on the floor was covered with dead ants. I looked up at the tongue & groove ceiling & it was black with ants.
I called husband & he jumped on his bicycle to come home. In the meantime I used a chair & then a ladder to get to ceiling to vacuumed them. They were falling on my back & biting. I covered myself with clothes & a shower cap. I couldn’t reach the ceiling without falling off ladder, but was able to vacuum them off floor (& brick wall but which was hard because they clung to that.)
It was fun to see the little %#&*@ being sucked up.
Tom arrived & we spent an hour vacuuming & killing with a broom. Went to town & got “Raid”.
Later not an ant left except for one very frantic one that got away. He knew what had happened. I killed him. I feel bad. I have a heart.
bikehikebabe,
What a horrible experience and what a great story. I’m glad you were careful and didn’t try climbing the ladder to vacuum. I wonder how the ants got in? Hopefully they won’t come back.
The closest I came to an experience like that was when I was renting a room after college… I was sprayed with dead ants when I took a shower. My landlady had sprayed the shower head because ants were coming in. She forgot to warn me. 🙂
Jean, commiserations; yet do count your blessings: At least you were warned. I wasn’t. Lost more than a month worth of (rather important) emails last year. Had no choice but to shrug my shoulder.
Yes, ants. There is something so purposeful in ants busying themselves that when I have to take measures in the garden (hot boiling water – it’s awful) I feel as guilty as hell. As the water pours from the kettle it’s like playing god sending floods and the plague. How the guy (God that is) could live with himself I will never know.
A friend of my parents was amazing with ants. On our walks through forests and coming across the miracle of an ant heap (with HUGE red ants) he’d hold his hand on the top of it, let dozens of them climb all over his hand and not get bitten once. Whilst no doubt a marvellous party piece what I, as an under ten year old, never quite understood was what he was trying to prove. But then children see the world so much more clearly than a lot of calcifying adults.
Which brings us back to your question about play. I don’t much differentiate between work and play. In that respect, and by temperament, I am so very very lucky.
U
PS, Jean: Neither do I get my priorities always right. If I had to saddle a horse it would bolt.
U
Not nearly good enough
glad you could get it all sorted…I would miss your posts 🙂
right now my priorities are getting through the rest of the essay and another exam next Friday…with some ‘rest’ in between – then it will be a little time to ‘play’ at being me without deadlines
Ursula,
“I don’t much differentiate between work and play. In that respect, and by temperament, I am so very very lucky.” That happens to be one of my talents, too, I also work on developing it.
Evan.
Commitment and practice. 🙂
Cathy,
Thank you. 🙂 Good luck on your school work, and I do hope you get to have some play time.
My life is the classic Pareto Principle. 80% of all effort that I put in is for play but only 20% turns out so. I am not in a position to choose my priorities now. That time will come, when it will be 100% play.
Rumuser,
“80% of all effort that I put in is for play but only 20% turns out so.” It sounds as if you’re not using your time effectively. 🙂 I thought if you choose well 20% of your effort gives you 80% of the results.
The problem Jean, is that 80% of the time, other people are involved who simply won’t play!
Rummuser,
That’s why I identify with the dog in the above cartoon. That’s the story of my life. So I’ve learned to have a grand time all by myself when others would rather take life more seriously.
And don’t forget, my brain is my favorite toy. It’s good for hours of enjoyment.