Well, now that our quarantine time is technically over and we’re pretty much recovered from COVID, it’s time for The Bearded One and I to head back to work. And that means a return to setting alarms, wearing clothes other than pajamas, and having a LOT less time at home again. It’s our return to “real life”, I guess. But why is this real life? I’m not saying the last couple of weeks have been pleasant, exactly–we did both have several days where either we felt miserable, or we just didn’t have energy to do anything. But having time at home together to rest and heal without the obligation or expectation to work through our illness has been so beneficial. We’re both the kind of people who tend to go to work unless we can’t, where sickness is concerned. I think I mentioned it in another blog post, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t take more than two or three sick days total in my entire eleven years of teaching. But why are we this way? I think these last two weeks have been eye opening for both of us about how using our sick time, or any paid time off, really, is a healthier option.
I know that having any paid time off in this country is a privilege. I’m not oblivious to the fact that, of the people in the U.S. who are fortunate enough to have jobs, there are far too many who are underpaid and overworked and aren’t afforded paid time off either at all, or at least without some kind of official or unofficial consequence for using it. But why is this just accepted here? I know there’s a lot wrong in our political system, and in our country in general, but I feel like if this issue were solved, a lot more of us would have the time and energy to really examine the way things are and, if we’re not satisfied with what we find, the time and energy to do something about it.
I’m not saying I have all the answers–I certainly don’t. But I really think that everyone being paid a living wage, having a reasonable amount of paid time off, having access to affordable healthcare, and being able to have a better work/life balance (you know, the things that most developed countries have) would go a long way in creating a healthier, more whole society. In the meantime, I’m trying to be more aware of my needs so I can take better care of myself and use the time I do have. I know this isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about this, and it probably won’t be the last, but I need to keep writing about it to remind myself to do it. Because I’m not sure exactly what I want “real life” to look like yet, but I don’t think I want it to feel like it has for most of my working life, whether that’s been self-inflicted or driven by societal expectations. I made a cup of tea tonight to sip on while writing and, as if to underscore my point, my tea tag said, “Life is best lived by focusing on your goals and dancing through all other distractions.” So yes, I’m working on self-care, but I’m also going to work on being more intentional about the dancing part instead of allowing it to feel like a trudge through the distractions of life. I know I have an incredibly charmed existence compared to so many, but I still want it to feel more…lively. And free. And I’m working on figuring out how to make that my reality.
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