With fair warning, the following post can be catergorized as “Random Late Night Ramblings.” It’s probably best left collecting dust in my drafts folder on WordPress, but I’m posting it anyway. Because why not?
Between moving, releasing Soulless, and my work schedule being all out of whack because two of my coworkers are going back to school, I honestly thought that today was going to be Saturday until about 9:30 last night. That’s something I’ve noticed since I dropped the day job and put most of my focus on writing: I’ve been losing track of the days all too easily. Of course, that might have nothing to do with the career change and a lot to do with getting older, but I have to wonder if anyone has this occur every so often.
In a way, writing puts us in a little bit of a time warp, and I’m still getting used to it. Though I prefer to do the majority of my writing early in the morning with the sunrise, the fact of the matter is that I can write whenever I want. My entire life until this last year has been dictated by timetables….get up at this time to get to school or work at this time, rehearsals at this time, meetings, interviews, you name it. This week of moving and not setting my alarm in the morning has really challenged my concept of how I manage time…and really put some perspective on the fact that time really is a construct we place on ourselves.
What do you think? Is time relative? Will the novelty of suddenly feeling free from the previously ironclad restrictions of schedule lose its appeal eventually, or have I stumbled onto something interesting here? Or are these just the ramblings of someone who should really get back to a routine of sorts because she’s forgetting what day it is?
L.S. Engler 
I’m not on a writing schedule, or any type of schedule, for that matter. Retired + Homebody + Lazy = A Slacker. So I don’t get much writing done, although I plan to each day.
When I was working, I recall waking up on a Saturday and being confused, thinking it was a working day. I thought I’d overslept and started wildly jumping around, getting dressed, all in a panic. It happens. I am running errands today – got to make a cat food run. Some people make coffee runs or fast food runs or doughnut runs – with me, it’s for cat food, thanks to an elderly cat who is senile and persnickety. (Is that a word?) But I may try to write some later today. Maybe.
Persnickety is definitely a word, and apropos to most cats. I remember days like that; since I’m still working part-time, I’m sure I’ll still have them, but it’s just weird thinking how much time dictates what we do. I’m making it a new goal to banish those boundaries and not let a clock rule my life so much.
I still need structure; I’m a pretty structured person. But I’d like it to be more about actions rather than hours.
I am SO about the clock. All the time! But I don’t think I would be if it wasn’t for my day job. I know five days a week, I have to get up at 5:30. I know on Sundays I have to get up at 6:00 (I always make a big breakfast before church). Saturdays are the only days I have totally free. Unless it’s my turn at clothing giveaway at church. Or the ladies day that’s coming up. Or a friend calls wanting me and others to meet him for lunch 2 1/2 hours away. Or if hubby wants to go to a matinee. Hmm. Maybe Saturdays aren’t so free, either. So tomorrow BETTER be. See, you are very lucky to only work part time. Freedom is a writer’s friend. 🙂
Freedom…and apparently not having much of a social life, lol. I’ve always been a homebody, though even I get a little restless on those days where I’m mostly home writing. I’m hoping to “get out” more often now that I’ll be saving money at this new place, and by “getting out,” I mean going to the coffee shop or the library to write instead of at home.
Here’s to hoping for a quiet Saturday for you, Lauralynn!
[…] myself a new routine that works around sharing my time and space with someone else. In a way, Friday’s post about breaking from the tyranny of the clock was borne from this exact thing. He likes to sleep in, […]