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One Minute Vacations


I-guess-I-shouldn't-have-stayed-up-until-3:00AM-working-on-that-last
little-refinement-it-is-so-difficult-waking-up-and-now-I-have-a-big-
pile-of-unread-newspapers-and-magazines-so-much-for-keeping-up-with-
what's-going-on-in-the-outside-world-I'll-steal-some-time-to-read-a-
few-issues-before-getting-in-the-shower-three-articles-how-ordinary-
folk-view-my-specialty-and-two-of-them-are-relevant-to-projects-I'm-
working-on-now-then-there-are-two-articles-on-medical-breakthroughs-
in-diseases-I'm-scared-I'll-get-then-there's-the-wash-of-stories-to-
carefully-ignore-because-I-disagree-and-it-will-only-make-me-mad-OH-
NO-I-forgot-about-that-morning-meeting-if-I-dash-into-the-shower-and
-skip-breakfast-and-drive-like-a-madman-I-can-almost-get-there-only-
a-few-minutes-late-how-come-I-only-drop-the-soap-when-I'm-in-a-rush-
and-of-course-the-button-pops-off-the-shirt-I-want-to-wear-but-I-did
-finally-make-it-out-to-the-car-but-why-can't-these-slow-pokes-move-
-faster-so-I-don't-get-stuck-at-the-red-light-there-I've-threaded-my
-way-through-the-pack-I-need-a-bit-of-a-vacation-if-I-am-going-to-be
any-use-at-all-at-that-meeting-HOORAY!-a-break-in-the-traffic...

 
        A deserted mile
        Just me my car and the road
        Serene through the curves
 

it-didn't-last-more-than-a-minute-but-it-was-a-nice-vacation-now-I've
-got-to-get-the-rest-of-the-way-to-work-and-manage-to-find-a-parking-
place-and-get-my-butt-to-that-meeting-I-should-stop-by-my-office-and-
check-my-voice-mail-in-case-there-of-any-last-minute-meeting-updates-
now-the-meeting-is-canceled-and-instead-I-need-to-do-it-all-on-paper-
the-phone-rings-it's-a-salesman-just-what-I-don't-need-must-be-polite
-and-get-rid-of-her-and-get-back-to-what-I-was-trying-to-do-now-what-
decision-was-I-trying-to-make-ah-yes-sooner-rather-than-later-so-that
-means-I-have-to-call-a-meeting-who-needs-to-be-there-how-soon-can-we
-get-together-maybe-tomorrow-oh-but-that-means-I-need-to-make-time-to
-prepare-but-I-still-have-to-answer-the-other-three-urgent-questions-
that-came-in-today-and-I-almost-forgot-this-afternoon's-deadline-for-
that-paper-submission-I-guess-I'll-have-to-wait-till-next-year-before
-I-can-get-that-out-to-the-world-oh-no-the-phone-again-you-want-me-to
-attend-the-team-meeting-to-make-sure-the-project-is-on-track-but-we-
agreed-that-I-was-letting-go-of-that-project-to-reduce-my-workload...

 
        Warm spring afternoon
        Laying barefoot in the grass
        Tension slips away
 

with-a-chance-to-compose-my-thoughts-I'm-ready-to-begin-writing-alas-
I'm-called-into-another-meeting-and-have-to-resolve-a-crisis-while-I-
make-my-way-to-the-conference-room-I-guess-it-all-does-come-down-to-a
-decision-I-need-to-make-and-write-up-as-the-meeting-begins-I-fear-I-
will-be-assigned-more-work-<DESERTED MILE>-wait-a-moment-this-project
-can-use-the-work-just-completed-by-my-other-team-and-this-long-list-
of-tasks-just-goes-away-thank-God-for-that-one-minute-vacation-on-the
way-in-to-work-this-morning...




4 February 2000

by Bill Cattey