As the drought gets worse in Indiana, the bugs get more desperate to join us in our cooler/moister existence, the pollen gets unbelievably unpleasant, and I grow more ambivalent about life and career.
It has been a blistering pace, this first half of the year. I am not burned out, but I can see it from here. I just feel the need to pull back some, reorder, get things straight, etc. Thank God summer slows things down. As much as we want meetings on demand to keep the great Enterra train running at full tilt, the reality of summer is that things really do slow down.
I feel a certain uncertainty. The proposal was messengered over to Putnam the middle of last week, so until we get some sense of receptivity, or lack thereof, the rest of my summer schedule seems indeterminate. Once we get to the 4th, everything will start scheduling for Labor Day and beyond. I'd like to have a rough first draft of Vol. III in hand by then, so I'm keeping August awfully open for now.
Maybe I'm just waiting to find III a home, until then, the urge to putter around and reorganize is strong.
Or maybe just too many untold-hour workweeks simply catches up, and one slows down merely because the pace is unsustainable.
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Comments (4)
I've been going through the same thing over the last couple of weeks, too - I'm hoping it's just a summer phase! I haven't been reading or writing consistently, yet I know that I'll come back to it soon and feel recharged - learning and challenging myself is a part of who I am, and I truly enjoy it. I'm sure my personal lull is related to the summer vacation I loved as a kid - carefree, rampant, mindless fun - but after awhile, you feel the need to get back to having purpose again.
In a nutshell: enjoy the slowdown and enjoy the quality personal time, there are plenty of forces (internal and external) that will let you know when it's time to gear up again.
Posted by antonymous
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June 19, 2007 4:11 PM
You are experiencing the down-side of living in the Midwest. The miserable summer climate. I grew up there, and headed for the West Coast when I got out of the military. For good. But the way your work is arranged, I guess you are stuck with it.
When I retired, I moved to the nicest place I knew. That's why I sign off now as,
Bill Millan - Waikiki
Posted by Bill Millan | June 19, 2007 10:28 PM
That's the nice thing about my part of Colorado. Summers along the front range are still hot, but the low humidity reduces the pain, and the mountains are a quick drive away.
Posted by Michael | June 20, 2007 7:52 PM
Am I the only one here that recognizes a Zap Brannigan refrence when he sees one? Me like Snu Snu!
Posted by Eric | June 22, 2007 7:27 AM