Holidays and Work

Work: This has been a mixed weekend for me. I actually have had a lot of work to do. I need to finish my taxes. No, I didn't wait until the last minute, but the month of April just caught me by surprise. I seriously don't know what happened to the months of January, February, and March, but I was a little surprised this weekend to remember that it is April and that taxes are due in a few days. Why does time fly so much these days? The past few months seem like a total blur, and I think I had a birthday somewhere in that time, but I honestly don't remember that much of the past few months. That is kind of sad, actually.

In addition to doing my taxes this weekend, I also have real work to do. I actually need to drop by the office today to pick up some more work that I can bring home with me. Once again my week was absorbed with another messy project that took up most of my time, so, once again, I had to bring other work home with me to catch up on what I couldn't get to.

Avoidance of work: Even though I've had a lot of work to do this weekend, I'm having a hard time getting motivated. This is probably due to the fact that I'm already exhausted from the past week and just want a "day off." I tried to do a little work yesterday, but I just couldn't focus. So I went for a long walk around Twin Lakes to clear my head. After my walk, I had to go out to do some shopping.

Holidays and shopping: It must be a bitter irony that holidays such as Christmas and Easter bring out the worst in people and shoppers. I wasn't even shopping for holiday stuff. I just needed some basic essentials, and by the time I got to the stores, I was starting to regret ever leaving the house. I went to Target and it was a madhouse. I tried to make my way past an area where there were crowds of people trying to get their hands on Easter baskets, Easter candy, and stuffed animals. It was a mess and if you didn't watch yourself, you could easily get run down with a shopping cart. I happened to pass a very friendly woman—the only friendly person in the area—who was obviously feeling the same way I was feeling. She smiled at me and simply said, "you can feel the desperation in the air, can't you?" That simple statement spoke volumes for the mood of the place. I don't consider myself especially religious, but regardless of the holidays and what they mean and whether or not one believes them, is it too much to ask for some simple kindness and respect toward the people around you? Why is a smile so hard to muster and why is it so difficult to say "excuse me" or "thank you"? Forget that this is a holiday weekend, kindness should be a daily occurrence, in my opinion. But for whatever sad reason, times like this really do bring out the worst in people. Fortunately, though, there are a few good people out there. They are those few glimmers of hope who help to restore a little bit of faith in the people of the world.