Wednesday, February 10, 2010

free time

I may be in the minority here (especially among those in the field of education), but I love snow days.

I know the conventional wisdom among grown-up type people is that "now we just have to make it up." Yeah, we do. But we'll make it up when it's not so dreary and cold and windy and miserable. We'll make it up on a day when leaving the house isn't a chore that takes a good 30 extra minutes of the morning in which to mentally and physically prepare for the actual leaving of the house (and that's after digging a path to and/or around your vehicle).

And in the mean time, you get this beautiful, unexpected gift - free time. Not free time, as in "I like to play Scrabble in my free time." But free. time. Time that was not originally meant to be yours, but that you may now do with whatever you'd like. That is a gift I cherish, and do not take lightly.

To date on this snow day I have: done yoga, run (on the elliptical), luxuriated in a hot shower, dressed in the most comfortable, warm fleece I could find, not fixed my hair, eaten some breakfast, sat on the sofa, and finished the book I was reading (Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert - an actual grown-up book, no less).

My next activity will be making tea and looking out the window while I drink that tea. Perhaps while pondering what book I'll start next.

At some point, I may actually venture out into the snow globe that is my town (I have, I will say, adored snow globes my whole life) and get some lunch for Hubby and me. Why? Why go out into the snow and cold and wind and the miserable when the local school system has decreed that it's probably not the best idea? Why endure the leaving-the-house-prep-time for some soup and sandwiches that I could just as easily make here in the comfort of my own home?

Because I have free time.

(and I say thank you for it)

9 comments:

koreen (aka: winn) said...

Yay! Free time! (Wait a minute... what's that?!)

Lyndsay said...

Did you like Committed? I've picked it up and put it down a few times at the book store.

Enjoy your free day!!!

Lyndsay said...

My security word was "tautpork".

Sounds rude.

Anonymous said...

I'm a teacher and I LOVE snow days :) although over here in the UK we don't have to make them up like you do...enjoy your free time

April said...

I love snow days and I'm an educator. Yes, it screws up all my plans, and that gets aggravating, but I really, really love FREE TIME! We have a snow day as well today, and I have managed to get some painting done as well as grad school homework. I also took my sweet time in the shower. It was heaven.

InTheFastLane said...

And it is free time, because you weren't planning on it. On the weekends I have lists of things I "need" to do. But on snow days I get to do what i want to do (well, and a few things that the kids want to do).

Corinne Cunningham said...

There is nothing better than the gift of time. In any form...

Stacia said...

Where I live, snow days very rarely translate into actual snow. We just like to worry about it a lot and cancel things. I would love to experience living in a snow globe. Beautiful metaphor!

Jessica Monte said...

I am in complete agreement. Right now we feel like Eskimos, having to gear up each time we leave the house. That said, yesterday I declared it "spa day" in our house. My 3 year old and I wore clay masks, did yoga, and just had girly fun.

Anyway, thank you for reminding me not to make light of the free time that this storm has delivered. It's the 4th day the government has been shut down here and my hubby has been able to be home with us too, just having time to breathe with his free time. It's quite a gift.