One Minute VacationsI-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 |