I work full time managing a restaurant. I design jewelry, I design websites and I write. I work on several blogs, am on Romance University and have time to post pithy comments to Facebook occasionally. I'm taking three online classes. I tell myself I don't have much for free time.
And it's always worked. I don't write as much as I want to, I haven't learned how to solder yet, but most of the time I work great under a deadline.
Now, this isn't about whining, because I'm a definite non-whiner! Shut up and get back to work is my motto.
However, two weeks ago, a cute older couple whom I've known for years through the restaurant informed me that she had pancreatic cancer. The worst possible news. A few days later, her husband asked if I would scan in some photos and make them into a DVD for her.
Absolutely.
Six photo albums later, the photos are all scanned in. I am currently cutting them apart into individual photos, adjusting the lighting, so on and so forth. I've learned some techniques for adjusting photos, I've watched the story of a woman's life pass in front of my eyes. I've seen her kids grow from babes in arms, to polyester-clad mustachioed young men, to gray haired grandparents. I've been to Oahu, Washington DC, Vegas and New Orleans.
I'm honored I had the chance.
I've also learned that I was wasting time.
I've managed to put in hours and hours of work into scanning and photo editing in the past two weeks. Granted, I've fallen behind in a few things, my homework assignments are late and I'm not even discussing the laundry pile, but the fact is there. I was a slacker.
Well, that's hard news to hear. Was I really on Facebook too much? Did I take too many naps? Was I blowing off my writing?
Could be.
And once I've finished these photos, I'll have to take a serious look at how my time is spent. I don't want every moment to be action-packed mind you, I still need time to day dream and play with the cats, but this photo assignment has shown me that you can get more time out of your day if you really try.
So, what's your biggest time suck? Where do you lose hours out of the day?
=)
carrie
teFacebook!
ReplyDeleteI resisted it foreever! But once I got on, I was an addict. I have too many friends (can you have too many friends?) and going through the posts takes an hour, chatting, it all adds up to writing time lost.
I gotta go...I gotta go see what my friends are doing! *waves*
I can get lost for hours in iTunes...but probably my biggest time suck is Twitter/Facebook. I have to really limit my time or I can spend an entire day wandering around, reading posts, playing games, reading more posts...
ReplyDeleteD'Ann....I've turned off chat on FB....that helped a lot...and sometimes I'll go for days without reading a post...and other days, by golly, I'm on there for hours. Definitely a time suck, but a fun time suck..lol
ReplyDeleteKristi...I've never been on iTunes, but Lord knows I don't need another bad habit! I think I'm an internet wanderer as well....and Scramble holds my attention some days for hours!
ReplyDeleteOkay, Sunflowers, I'm speaking to you from my advanced age. As you all know, because I've said it so often, I'm 60. Whether you mean to or not, you learn a lot in 60 years. One of the things you learn is that the term time suck...uh...sucks. Because if you're enjoying what you're doing, or feeling good about it (as in the DVD, Carrie), or if it's something that's going to make your toes curl when you remember it, it doesn't really matter if you wrote that day or even that week. Doesn't matter that much about the laundry or the dishes. Babies matter, anyone you love matters, things you like to do matter--other stuff, not so much.
ReplyDeleteI'll leap lithely off my soapbox now, and I'll probably break my damn hip doing it. But I'll enjoy the wind in my face while I'm jumping.
My thoughts are with you and your friend who's suffering, Carrie. It's a Good Thing you're doing.
thanks liz........=) let me help you down there honey....lol.....ah, that cracked me up! =)
ReplyDelete