So another semester has come and gone, and with the going comes the coming of the best of all possible breaks- Christmas break. And after sitting awhile in the midst of finally-taking-a-break-apathy, I have compiled several theses related to the idea of breaks in general.
1) Taking a Break is Possible. (I Sometimes Capitalize Things Like Titles. NBD.)
People need breaks. And yet, in the middle of things, a break often sounds totally unmanageable.
The Following is an Excerpt from a Conversation that Might be Real:
Friend B: "Hey, friend. You should take a break."
Friend A: "What do you mean, take a break? You have NO idea how much work I have to accomplish between now and the END OF MY LIFE. Which MIGHT be soon. I have more work than any other person! In the world! Who has EVER EXISTED!"
Friend B: "Oh, okey dokey. Well, I was going to watch a movie later."
Friend A: "I am wracked with guilt, torn between the needs of my good Friend B and my desire to achieve. No matter what I do, I will be letting someone down."
Friend B: "Huh."
An hour later, Friends B and A sit down to watch a movie. For Friend B, it's a break. For Friend A, it's an agonizing attempt to formulate his honors thesis while also concentrating on the witty banter provided by Friend B and hoping that some of his assigned readings will include huge charts and pictures. Nobody wins. Except Friend B.
2) If you take breaks, people will like you more.
I'm taking a break right now, and I have more friends than ever. Seriously.
3) The longer you go without taking a break, the more your breaks will suck.
Not uncommon: For people to try to just muscle through from August to Christmas (or the comparable period of time for adults. Which is probably Christmas to Christmas. Another reason for me not to grow up.) and then use up their entire break self in a concentrated period of time.
Problem associated with this: All the things that you want to do to take a break (write a novella, create a matching set of clay mugs, read that one book by that author that someone you respect likes, do your laundry) falls to your "breaktime", which has now been inconveniently compressed into 13 days of also experiencing Holiday Cheer, family obligations, and angsting out over what you're going to get your fave 7 people for Christmas.
4) Most of the people I know suck at taking breaks.
Myself included.
5) We should practice taking breaks.
Not just when we're forced to. Not just when we need one because we're about to explode from angst and tension and we end up breaking down in secret. Not just when we actually hate doing things that we love because we've forgotten that it's how we used to take a break. But all the time. Habitually. Taking time out of life to remember why we're doing it. Because I (and most people I know) came to a point this year where we forgot, and life sucked more. And practice makes progress, you know.
So, I have finally gotten around to writing a new blog. Now I just have to finish the Brothers K and do my laundry. So I can actually start Christmas shopping. So I can have an enjoyable Christmas with my family. Somewhere in there I'll let my friends know that I haven't forgotten them.
Yay for Breaks.
