In Defense of Laziness
So I survived the family weekend. These are the things I have to show for it:
1. One piece of chocolate chunk cheesecake, a small one, that no one seemed to want, ESPECIALLY AFTER THEY DEVOURED THE WHOLE REST OF THE CAKE!!!
2. A moderately clean house, except for my bedroom, which is where I stuffed all the unsightlies
3. Two plates of homemade mints, that again, no one touched.
4. One GladWare container of Spinach-Artichoke dip that Matt dared me to touch.
5. A big fat zero on a homework assignment that I forgot about in Tolstoy, choosing instead to bat my eyes repeatedly at (cute) professor, saying "Oh, didn't you get it?" and cursing myself for not wearing make-up.
6. A tired feeling, and a sort of mini headache that is more annoying than anything. Ho hum.
So, yes. I made it. People laughed and enjoyed theirselves, and I sent two of my cousin's kids home with sick stomachs after the mass consumption of chocolate frosted cupcakes. However, I feel that although I am still alive, I missed something. I missed my normal weekends, with all their reading and sleeping and rambling and yes, Dukes of Hazzard reruns. Because I was so busy being sociable and cute, I missed all the great Morgan and Matt things (although we did make a quick trip to CW for Jelly Belly's--$12 worth of jelly beans is a wonderful, frivolous, devine thing) that usually dot my weekend. So today in this blog, I am opining for the weekend lost, the thing that I won't have for another...hmmm..five days I guess. I am opining for pajamas and MovieScene and sugar cookie baking. I am opining for those carefree times when one can learn for learning's sake, enjoy for enjoyment's sake, and love for all of love's sake.
And in this opining, I think of my father. My dad is great, or at least, my memories of him are pretty great. This is a guy who always laughs, can make anyone laugh, can fart on command, tells great stories, and is always ready with something to say. At least, this is how I remember him. I don't see him that much anymore, but when I do see him, he is always worn out, or as he would say it, "busted." Why? Because he works 16 hours a day, 6 days a week, supervising coal production at a mine in West Virginia. And for a while, I admired this about him. I would talk about how hardworking he is, about all the junk he does, blah blah blah. I guess I still do admire it, but now I see it for what it is: pointless. My dad does this for no reason--he doesn't need the money as all of his kids/stepkids are grown and out of the house and he is definitely not paying anything on my school bills. He is just allowing himself to get totally wed to his job and whatever sense of security it provides. I mean, I love my dad, but not this zombie-like shell I see on his infrequent visits. I love that dad I used to have, who played the air saxophone and called himself "The Crusher" and went around trying to wrestle with everyone. I miss him. I wish that he would realize that he doesn't have to do all that, and that life out here in the la-la-lazy world is pretty awesome.
Don't think I am dismissing economic necessity. No, I don't think everyone should be 100% lazy all the time. I mean, we as a people need to work and put our talents out for the good of ourselves and our families. However, there is a line. I personally think that people should do as little as possible. It makes us all better and cuter, and well, just better. I mean, we eat better, we're happier, and, what's better than that?
I'm going to end on that note. I know probably sounds stupid and utopian, and all that, but I'm serious and I think that laziness is beneficial. Hey, if you have time you'll cook good food, and then you won't be eating McDonald's and slurping down coffee drinks. And what could be better than having time to eat? Nothing, my friends. Nothing at all.
1. One piece of chocolate chunk cheesecake, a small one, that no one seemed to want, ESPECIALLY AFTER THEY DEVOURED THE WHOLE REST OF THE CAKE!!!
2. A moderately clean house, except for my bedroom, which is where I stuffed all the unsightlies
3. Two plates of homemade mints, that again, no one touched.
4. One GladWare container of Spinach-Artichoke dip that Matt dared me to touch.
5. A big fat zero on a homework assignment that I forgot about in Tolstoy, choosing instead to bat my eyes repeatedly at (cute) professor, saying "Oh, didn't you get it?" and cursing myself for not wearing make-up.
6. A tired feeling, and a sort of mini headache that is more annoying than anything. Ho hum.
So, yes. I made it. People laughed and enjoyed theirselves, and I sent two of my cousin's kids home with sick stomachs after the mass consumption of chocolate frosted cupcakes. However, I feel that although I am still alive, I missed something. I missed my normal weekends, with all their reading and sleeping and rambling and yes, Dukes of Hazzard reruns. Because I was so busy being sociable and cute, I missed all the great Morgan and Matt things (although we did make a quick trip to CW for Jelly Belly's--$12 worth of jelly beans is a wonderful, frivolous, devine thing) that usually dot my weekend. So today in this blog, I am opining for the weekend lost, the thing that I won't have for another...hmmm..five days I guess. I am opining for pajamas and MovieScene and sugar cookie baking. I am opining for those carefree times when one can learn for learning's sake, enjoy for enjoyment's sake, and love for all of love's sake.
And in this opining, I think of my father. My dad is great, or at least, my memories of him are pretty great. This is a guy who always laughs, can make anyone laugh, can fart on command, tells great stories, and is always ready with something to say. At least, this is how I remember him. I don't see him that much anymore, but when I do see him, he is always worn out, or as he would say it, "busted." Why? Because he works 16 hours a day, 6 days a week, supervising coal production at a mine in West Virginia. And for a while, I admired this about him. I would talk about how hardworking he is, about all the junk he does, blah blah blah. I guess I still do admire it, but now I see it for what it is: pointless. My dad does this for no reason--he doesn't need the money as all of his kids/stepkids are grown and out of the house and he is definitely not paying anything on my school bills. He is just allowing himself to get totally wed to his job and whatever sense of security it provides. I mean, I love my dad, but not this zombie-like shell I see on his infrequent visits. I love that dad I used to have, who played the air saxophone and called himself "The Crusher" and went around trying to wrestle with everyone. I miss him. I wish that he would realize that he doesn't have to do all that, and that life out here in the la-la-lazy world is pretty awesome.
Don't think I am dismissing economic necessity. No, I don't think everyone should be 100% lazy all the time. I mean, we as a people need to work and put our talents out for the good of ourselves and our families. However, there is a line. I personally think that people should do as little as possible. It makes us all better and cuter, and well, just better. I mean, we eat better, we're happier, and, what's better than that?
I'm going to end on that note. I know probably sounds stupid and utopian, and all that, but I'm serious and I think that laziness is beneficial. Hey, if you have time you'll cook good food, and then you won't be eating McDonald's and slurping down coffee drinks. And what could be better than having time to eat? Nothing, my friends. Nothing at all.
posted by Southern Belle at 3:17 PM
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