Trashy beer signs

Do you remember the first time uncle bob took you to the tavern in (insert middle American town here) when you were thirteen? Inevitably there was a long bar, Linda or was it Betty was smoking at the back doing the books and Uncle Bob's golfing buddies were all belly up? You noticed the loud guy probably drinking EJ and cokes while his tee time buddy Sam was milking Amstels. But what really caught your 13 year old attention was the novel beer signs. Even today 10, 15, 20 years on they catch your eye and bring you to a better place.

Here's to the beer sign designers of the 1970's and 80's, you provide hours of uninterrupted entertainment.

Time

Breath, just for a moment... relax, breath again. Stop reading. Breath...

There, that's where I want you to be. I've got time, how about you?

Our lives are caught up in what we do every day. The need to get there and do that or run to make that train or catch this dinner party with that person. It's appointment and deadlines, time crunches and little snippets like EOD, EOW or simply 'by 5 o'clock'.

I'm one of those people. I love chaos and deadlines and the feeling you get when you're pushing to produce under the gun and then you realize you're going to need to push a little more, and you do. I am one of those people and I value those types of people that operate like me.

But with all of that - the fluttering and the flurry - I have come to enjoy my time that is not like that. When the clock stops moving or I just stop paying attention to it. When dinner is simmering and the phone has gone dead and all that lies between you and responsibility is 1, 2 or 10 hours (although I do think a week is best).

I sat and watched my Chili simmer on the stove last night and read a sophisticated magazine. It was wonderful. No need to do much more, I had no where to be and no one to see and it made me realize that those moments are as important as the busy ones when I'm meeting deadlines.

As I sat there, I looked at my magazine and realized for the first time in two months how much I enjoyed learning from it. In fact over the course of the last two months I had forgotten why I had subscribed to it in the first place.

I may have even made a promise to myself last night. It think it went like this: take a night off, do it every week. Intentionally leave a massive gaping hole in your schedule and make the time something sacred.

I think it will help me be more chaotic.