THREE PLACES IN YOUR DAY TO FIND MORE TICK TOCKS

/Bobbe White/4/14/18/

“I don’t have enough time to write.” That’s me whining, So are there hidden time slots anywhere within my day?

 Options:

1. Rise earlier. No thanks. I turn into a cranky toddler by 7:30pm.
2. Retire later. Equally bad idea. Lily White, the black Lab rooster, wakes us at 6:00a.m. Sharp. She naps all day. We don’t.
3. Utilize lunch hour. Hmmmmmmm…

 Scientific testing:

1. Took laptop along to work this week. It’s an old MacBook from Korey. I’m grateful and love it, but it’s heavy to schlep in my bag and the battery is weak.
2. Brown-bag lunch in car with Mac.
3. Write: one hour. Go!

 Results:

Monday: Pushed front seat back; Mac still hits steering wheel. A few co-workers pass by in the parking lot, but it’s not that unusual. Others read in their cars.

 Tuesday: Pushed seat forward. Moved to the back seat. Better. Co-worker inquires later, “Why were you sitting in the back of your car?” She doesn’t really get it. I get it. It’s weird.

Wednesday: Back seat – day two. Sun heats car. Drive around block in search of shade. Alas, trees are still bare. Back to the lot. Great: sun glare. Trap black tissue paper (I happen to have) in the window. Note: buy baby screen. Then MacBook battery goes kaput. Sigh.

Thursday: Warm day again. Relocate to gazebo (with electrical outlets!) near parking lot. Pre-school class finger paints on gazebo floor. Only two inquire what I’m doing. “Working,” I say. We easily co-exist here.

Friday: I WANT TO WALK, NOT WRITE, THIS LUNCH HOUR! Urge is strong. I beat it back, because I promised myself a test week, and “I’m Not Throwing Away My Shot!” (Lin Manuel Miranda, Hamilton) Head to gazebo. Weather turns blustery. I end the week where I started…in my car.

TEST RESULTS: I did it! I found five, count ‘em, FIVE, extra writing hours this week. Yes, I want more, but for now, I can thrive on five. Well, technically, five-ish, give or take an ish. There’s eating time. Tick. Text message check time. Tock. And a couple of rabbit holes I may’ve found while checking emails. Tick. Time is so precious, no? I realize there are tick tock leaks everywhere. But time was there all along. It requires discipline to harness some of it.

I realize it can’t happen every week, but whenever I feel out of time, it’s obvious there’s a bit of time to carve out of most days. How about you? Where do your tick tocks leak? Look closely…extra time might just be there to read, write, nap, fold clothes, knit or wrap gifts. It was in your back seat the whole time! bw