First of all, I want to thank Mistress of the Good Vibes Universe and Duke and Joe (in their snow-zen state) for inspiring me to write this. In particular, the observation that a day or two of snow can – and should – allow us to step off the treadmill for a moment and get a bit of perspective (and if that doesn’t do it, what will?).
Just before checking out what was on Madame says…(a daily routine, naturally) yesterday, I had been reading about the collective fury of British parents experiencing “childcare problems” due to a second day of school closures, forced to miss not one but two days off work (shock, horror) and spend it with their children.
What’s going on here? I’m sure there was a time when we would have relished the prospect of skipping a day or two at the office. Just the other day I heard about employers’ indignation at the advertising slogan ‘take a Benilyn day’, and their fears about what an open incitement to ‘throw a sicky’ might do to productivity levels. Which got me thinking about how completely obsessed we have become about EFFICIENCY, so much so that it’s practically a religion, the alter at which all that makes life rich and meaningful must either be justified or sacrificed.
Like Nahid, I don’t want to trivialise the very real hardships people are experiencing now we are officially in a recession, but I do think it is an opportune moment to stop and wonder at the kind of lives we have been living. Maybe our collective reaction to a bit of snow-bound family time is telling us that it’s about time.
Comments ( 2 )
Madame added these words on Feb 05 09 at 10:55 amI agree with what you say – why can’t it be like the 70′s when there would be a collective “hurray” for a powercut or a break in the monotony. We all hovered around the phone on both mornings and hissed “yessssssssss” when they told us school was closed again! Efficiency obsession is a scary thing, I even see it at school where there are all these expectations and pressures even at 6!!
Obviously there wasn’t a collective “hurray” when the bin men went on strike….but you know what I mean?! Baths by candlelight are one of my fondest childhood memories!
michael added these words on Feb 09 09 at 5:05 pmOh boy do i agree…it was great ! Me and the old man dug in and watched old movies…bliss.
I LOVED the 70′s power cuts…the initial horror of no telly was quickly replaced by excitement about finding candles in the dark and playing cards with the family…i can still hear the groan when the lights came back on.
