The Dangers of Simplicity

I work a long way from home. So I spend my lunch hour alone. Before this journey, I walk around REI or Borders and usually pick up something little, or not so little during my break, then I would drive through some fast-food joint and inhale a burger on my way back to the office. Now, that we are re-orienting our life, I have found that I have a lot more time in my lunch hour than I had noticed.

We have a great non-Starbucks coffee shop near work. They have free wireless internet, good coffee, and big tables. So, recently I have been spending my lunch time there; thinking, writing, and researching. You know what I have found? This journey to change rhythms is dangerous. Having time to think and write is a frightening thing.

Suddenly, projects that I have been thinking about for years are progressing and I'm realizing that writing fills me in a way that my job never will. I have to talk myself out of skipping the rest of the workday to write. Dangerous.

Even worse, having time to think has given rise to such salacious thoughs as, "maybe I really don't need to buy something to make me happy." Or, "maybe we could survive on less money." Even, "maybe this job is taking away more than it is providing." Yikes!

BEWARE of time to think.