Work-Life Balance
For several weeks now, I have been watching the TV series 24 on DVD. I know I’m late and only got on the bandwagon recently, but not I understand why people get so hooked.
I’ve watched 3 seasons so far and I always find myself having a difficult time pressing the Stop button to watch another day. And since I don’t watch these shows when my son’s with me in the room, it takes quite a while for me to finish one whole season.
Jack Bauer, the lead, is a very interesting character. He is definitely an asset to the organization and to the government, but he sure does break quite a number of rules. He gets the job done. But it makes you think — when protecting your country, your government, does the means justify the end?
For those who are familiar with the series, you know the way Jack operates. He takes the lives of at least a handful people in each season, does not follow protocol half of the time, and has put his family in danger. Even his daughter, Kim, admits that he’s not the best dad, but he does what he can.
It made me think, though. Nowadays, majority are in the rat race. We work our butts off to make sure that we get something every two weeks to support ourselves and our families, in some cases. But at what price?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to be high and mighty here. I’ve been guilty of spending a lot of time in front of my laptop, even more than 8 hours a day. Good thing I work from home, so there’s no travel time and I can work in whatever I feel comfortable wearing. But there are times when I get so busy, that I can’t even play with my son while he’s walking around in the morning. And I know he gets frustrated when that happens because he comes to me, calling me, obviously wanting me to at least play with him for a bit, and I tell him to play elsewhere because Mommy has to finish something. It breaks my heart when I have to do that.
I realize that there are times when I bite off more than I can chew. A friend told me that I’m stressing myself too much, worrying a lot more than I should. I just need to re-prioritize and drop things that may not be worth the time.
Just some random thoughts on a hot, weekday afternoon.
I’m with you here, Kayvs.
But I learned to drop whatever I do and give my time to Peaches. The time that really jolted me out of my “busyness” was when she said in her quiet voice, “Why are you working Mommy?”
I realized then that it was in fact for her but yes, at what price.
My son doesn’t talk yet but I’m sure I’d hear that as he grows older. Yes, I work from home, but I’m usually occupied during the day. I do my best to give him even just a few minutes in between tasks so he doesn’t feel that I’m here yet I’m not. It’s all just a matter of balance