All Work…
Sharon Koehler
Artistic Stone Design
Photos by Sharon Koehler
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Why would you want to miss this for a text or a Tweet? |
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| Maybe hiking in the mountains or exploring where that back road leads you is more your “thing.” |
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Photo By Larry Hood |
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” or so says the age-old expression. Back in the days before electronics when work was more physical, I can see that being true. Jack works hard and comes home tired and flops in the bed snoring before his head hits the pillow. But these days, with electronics everywhere making everything easier so we can do more longer, I would say that all work and no play makes Jack an over-stressed, burnt out, frazzled, ill-tempered twit with a bad attitude and a chip on his shoulder. Nobody wants to work for that guy, with that guy or hire that guy. And to be fair, this also applies to the Jackies and Jennas of the world, as well.
The world is becoming faster paced every day. Electronics are allowing us to work from homes, cars, trains and just about everywhere else. Desktops have been replaced by laptops that are being replaced by tablets that are being replaced by smart phones, on and on and on. We can work from anywhere. Everything is just a Wi-Fi connection, keystroke or a Google search away. How FREEING is that?!?!
Or, is it freeing at all? It used to be that when you left work, nobody could call you, much less tweet, chat, skype or email you. Now, you are pretty much connected 24/7, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. We have somehow become addicted to instant answers and we are chained to our devices. I saw this 21st century problem first hand, not too long ago.
I was on a ferry headed to an island. Once the ferry is underway you are allowed to get out of your car and walk around. I have been on this ferry trip before so I headed to the back of the boat because that is where I love to be. The views are spectacular. Fish, birds, water, sunrises, sunsets and so much more can be seen. To me, the wonders of all creation can be seen from the back of the boat. But as I walked the deck, it was distressing to see that almost half the cars on the ferry had people in them on their “gadgets.” They were talking, Tweeting, gaming, emailing and Googling. I couldn’t believe it. Why would you pass up this for an email or a FB post? (See sunset photo at the top of this page!)
OK – I get it. Maybe you aren’t a beach or water kind of person. Maybe the woods is more your style. That’s fine. There’s a lot to be said for sitting around a fire pit making s’mores with your kids or grandkids. Or maybe just turning your car on an old dirt road surrounded by trees and just seeing where the road goes. (Using a GPS or Waze is cheating, by the way!) Again, why would you want to miss this for a Tweet or a game level?
If it can’t be a week’s vacation, take a long weekend. Get out of your rut. Shake up your routine. Admittedly, taking your phone for emergency purposes is probably necessary. But, you don’t need to take your tablets, laptops or whatever else you have along with you. And FYI: using your phone for anything other than emergencies or directions defeats the whole purpose. Let those unwanted calls roll right over to voice mail and don’t check those e mails. The world will survive a few days without you.
If you’re in the middle of your busy season and a long weekend just isn’t in the game plan, take an afternoon or an evening and do something fun. Take in a game, go out to dinner with family and friends, go shoot some hoops or some pool. Do something to shake the cobwebs out. Nothing beats back stress like laughter and good times.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that you just walk in and announce that you are taking a vacation or a long weekend. I’m sure your company has rules about time off and how far out you need to schedule it, and who you need to schedule it with. Those rules should be followed so you don’t put your company at the disadvantage of being a person down while you go play. Planning any time off includes letting your co-workers know what you have going on so they can plan for your absence.
And, I am in no way suggesting that all those electronics we have accumulated are bad either. They help us in ways that some of us never imagined but as Pete Seeger once paraphrased, “To everything there is a season.” (Meaning there is a time and place for everything.) Sometimes we need to embrace our electronics but sometimes we need to leave them sitting on our tables and desks.
The world is a big, beautiful place with amazing things happening in it every day. Don’t miss it for a Tweet!
Sharon Koehler is a 10- year veteran of the stone industry and currently head of marketing for Artistic Stone Design in Richmond, Va. She has been a regular contributor to various trade magazines for several years. Please send your thoughts on this or any other article to sharon@artisticstonerichmond.com.