I was looking through some various websites we use for the daily radio show and I found an interesting question this week:
What’s something you didn’t realize was going to consume so much of your time as an adult?
I agreed with just about all of the answers people gave and I added a few of my own.
The first answer was — food. Think about it: You have to make a menu, then a shopping list. Once that’s done you have to actually go shopping which is an adventure all on its own. Once home you have to lug in all the bags and put it away. Then there is meal prep followed by the actual cooking.
You finally relax and enjoy your meal then you realize you have to clear the table, wash the dishes and wipe down the table and the countertops.
Then guess what? You get to do it all again tomorrow!
Next on the list was, “Thinking about work when you’re not at work.” I was guilty of this back when I was working full time every day. Many days I just couldn’t turn it off. I would be checking my email at home or getting text messages or planning for tomorrow. I have a couple friends who can actually turn it off when they’re not at work. They walk out that door at 5:00 p.m. and never give it another thought. I could never do that. I am proud to say that now that I’m semi-retired I’m much better at this. I’ll give you my full attention when I’m there but I can now walk away with the attitude of, “I’m done. We will deal with that tomorrow!”
“Waiting at traffic lights” was also mentioned. Am I the only person that has a mental list of the slowest lights in town?
“Folding the same towels over and over” made the list. I know everyone has a different opinion about how many uses you should get out of one towel. We wash ours after every use. It’s just something we have always done.
I would add “doing laundry” in general to this list. I actually don’t mind doing the laundry. It’s the folding and putting away that can be a pain. I’m also amazed at how often the hamper gets full and that’s even after the kids have moved out! Looking back on raising four children, that washing machine was probably going every day! And no matter how we tried to stay on top of things, it wasn’t unusual to hear, “Is my favorite shirt in the laundry?” Or, (one of my favorites), “Why is my uniform in the dirty clothes? I need it tonight!”
Something else I would add to the list… dealing with doctors and pharmacies. Who knew this would take up so much of our lives?
You have a problem so you make an appointment to see your doctor. If you’re lucky they can see you within a week. After the constant voicemails and texts to confirm that you will show up for your appointment (Or you WILL BE CHARGED!), your appointment day arrives. He/she examines you and determines you need a specialist. His office will schedule your appointment with the specialist and someone will call you. A day or two later they call with a time that’s convenient for no one but you somehow make it work. You go to the specialist and fill out the forms since it’s your first visit and then you wait. Maybe there’s an X-Ray or MRI and you wait for the results. Once they’ve been read you go back for another visit where the doctor decides to try medication first to see how that works. They call it into your pharmacy, you pick it up, try it for a few days and then, hopefully, see improvements and if not …. It’s back to the doctor! Someone once told me, “That’s why they say they are ‘practicing’ medicine.”
Remember when you were young and you couldn’t wait to grow up? Why were we in such a rush?
What else?
What’s something you didn’t realize was going to consume so much of your time as an adult?
- Bills
- Dealing with insurance
- Trouble with your car
How about dusting? What’s up with all the dust? I dust on Fridays and two or three days later it’s back! And don’t get me started about the pollen this year!
Well I guess it keeps us busy. We wouldn’t want to have too much free time on our hands would we? (He said sarcastically.)
What did I forget? Any thoughts?
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