Another great Saturday morning: awake before nine, ‘Car Talk’ and tinkering with tumblr themes, two cups of Intelligentsia (weekends mean double indulgence!), and warm cat nestled on our laps. What could be better?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I want ‘enargia v.2.0’ to be… At first, I thought a microblog was all I wanted - something more powerful than Twitter to which I could post quick text updates and iPhone photos, but nothing that would require ongoing, dedicated thought. I have list of folks I owe emails to (especially you!) and it didn’t make sense to resurrect a blog only to neglect it again. Becoming a better correspondent to those I miss and love is my highest priority right now, and I don’t want to foil that by distracting myself with a new project.
But then, I’ve noticed lately how much I’ve missed writing. At work, I only deal with numbers - an odd shift for someone who’s forte has always been writing. I knew that embarking on an MPP would sharpen my quantitative skills, but I didn’t imagine numbers and spreadsheets would completely eclipse my other capacities when it came time to get a job. Some weeks, I’ll go three or four days without opening a word processor. I’ve noticed that my typing has gotten slower, and I’m misspelling words more frequently. My impulses now lead me to misuse homonyms and type words phonetically - the horror, the horror! I’ve also noticed that I’m reading less…a lot less. The past three months’ New Yorkers and Atlantics and New Mexico Magazines are filed neatly in the wicker basket next to my reading chair, uncracked. Three books are waiting patiently on my nightstand, yet none have been touched since December.
Is this winter, or is this a new phase of adulthood? I’d like to think it’s the former, but I fear it’s the latter. So many things are pending on life’s to-do list, but it seems I only manage to cross one off a month. My menagerie of plants have gone unwatered, and some have finally faded entirely. (How many weeks did it take before the formerly-pretty-but-presently-dead plant in the bedroom finally made it in the trash?)
So what am I doing these days? I’m working, and I think that’s a tall order to start with. My job is busy and stressful, and asks that I stare into the bright, unwavering eyes of Microsoft Excel eight hours a day. But…I like it! For the first time, I’m ‘the data person’, and that’s kind of new and exciting. I’m also trying to stay active and healthy (as much as possible for someone who *loves* cookies and cake). I signed up for an exorbitantly expensive gym at the end of the summer, in an attempt to woo myself there on chilly winter mornings. It’s been a marginally successful endeavor, and I average about two or three times a week at pilates or cardio. I continue to be an avid cook, making yummy dinners at least three nights a week. I’ve started knitting, and found that I really enjoy it (now on to mastering the art of consistency and longevity…skills to come with time!) I suppose more than anything, though, I spend my time enjoying life with B. What a joy to have found someone that challenges and entertains and respects me! Most nights we’re talking about philosophy or politics, giggling on the couch to The Daily Show, or troubleshooting a situation that has come up in our day lives. As I like to say to my friends at work, “I’m in love!” [big grin] And I am. :)
Turning back to the matter at hand, I’m not sure what I should expect for v.2.0 given my current routines and aspirations. A good friend and I have started unraveling this topic (much like we do with my botched knitting!) and with her, I’ve recalled the value of getting ideas outside of myself so that they can be manipulated and examined. What I think I’ve decided (so far) is this: that I will write for myself, with honesty and love. Version 2.0 will allow me to indulge my curiosity and practice careful thinking, but it will not demand that I make firm commitments of time or effort. I’ll give to it what I can, and be happy to watch it grow through time.
