Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Rebellion and a Cast Iron Tub

My brain wants to take a vacation, I think. It is rebellious. I have only forced it into routine for a week now and it is fighting against me at every turn. The beginning of a new school year, of course, necessitates routine....but still.....I don't have to like it.
This is why programs and motivational speakers never reach me. No matter how convincing, logical or, well, motivational someone else's program may be, my brain will rebel against it within a matter of a few days. I can tell it that, in fact, it will enjoy more free time if we just follow these five steps to a cleaner house. I can tell it that it will be happier if we just get up 30 minutes earlier to exercise. I can even tell it that family game night will be more of a regular thing if the floor has been vacuumed - that it only takes five minutes to vacuum my tiny rug. But my brain will have none of that. My brain says back to me, "I will try your puny little plan and then we will see who really is in charge here."
So, school has started. My mornings are spent ferrying children and my dog to the places they need to go. My days are spent at work (which is lovely, as far as work goes, but still....it's work). My afternoons and evenings are spent picking up the aforementioned critters, making sure that their 67 papers-per-day-each are signed and in their backpacks with their completed homework and that they have a square meal for dinner. Blah, blah, blah, boring, boring, boring. Which is why I haven't had much to say here lately. Following routines seems to only ensure that the routine will be accomplished. No further benefits have been reaped.
And so, my brain rebels. I took an afternoon bath today at its bidding. Just to mess things up a little bit. It was lovely. "I really need this," my brain said, with droplets of guilt seeping out of the very words it had formed as it pictured the neglected children sitting outside the bathroom door, just waiting. It wasn't even a long bath. In fact, due to the fact that my old cast-iron tub doesn't retain heat well, I often measure the length of my baths in hot-water-refills. And this was only a one-warmup bath.
I have a handful of simple things that I still need to do today. My brain is refusing to focus on them, though. It isn't even that I'm especially tired. I just don't wanna (fill in the blank with any responsibility you can think of). I decided instead to share my small rebellion with you. Would that it were more scintillating or even just interesting. But surreptitious bathing is about as bad as it gets around here.

DAILY BLISS: I think I'm going to head out the door and find a bliss for today. Other than the bath, I got nothin'.

3 comments:

Amy Button said...

My brain told me that I needed some freshly baked peach crisp...and I obeyed. My brain was right and I'm pretty sure yours was too. Cheers to peach crisp and afternoon baths!

Mary said...

I love routines because they make me feel secure, but my brain begs for a little "rebellion" because other people mess up my routine. Kids aren't perfect and they can't tell time, therefore the plan is often "messed up" and "rebellion" must follow. If I can't have my routine, I must have consolation. Peach cobbler is a good idea, but I prefer a homemade chocolate and peanut butter milkshake while I watch something on HGTV. At least that's what I did yesterday. :)

frabjouspoet said...

I don't know, afternoon baths seem a bit scandalous. Of course, I have been known to take one myself. My favorite brain rebellion is a really long drive down lonely roads singing at the top of my lungs. A few weeks ago I added screaming as loudly and in as many different forms/pitches as possible to the drive. It was heavenly.