The poet Robinson Jeffers built Tor House in 1916 on a cliff in Carmel, CA. It absolutely enchanted me when I toured it a decade ago. The guide mentioned that every morning Mrs. Jeffers (Una) would sit at her desk in a corner of the peaceful living room and write letters to friends and family. Something about that connected with me on a visceral level, and it became my ideal to create the same habit.
That is still my (as yet unmet) ideal – but it occurred to me today that Facebook has become a viable substitute. Yes, it is possible to get distracted by cat video posts, but, at heart, Facebook is a way to stay connected with friends and extended family – and take a lot less time than 4 hours every morning to do so – especially if you ignore the animal videos.
I’ve heard people vilify Facebook as nothing but a time suck, but is it really such a bad compromise to substitute less than an hour on Facebook daily for the 4 hours Una Jeffers would schedule to write letters? I don’t think so, especially since I still need to find time for the work that brings in income.
Creating your ideal life is a balancing act. Facebook is part of that balance for me. So is scheduling regular vacation time and hiking time, and one day a week to spend with my elderly mother. I enjoy my work, and I do it better when I honor, and allow time for, all aspects of my life. You do too.
Your weekend is before you; schedule time in it for one aspect of your life you’ve been neglecting.
Speak Your Mind