The Literary Salon: Lean Out – A Meditation on the Madness of Modern Life

One potential benefit of the pandemic is that many people are finding their lives are less busy and less stressed.  Without the daily commute to work and the rush of getting the kids to their various after-school activities, there is suddenly more time to make supper, relax, or binge-watch your favorite TV shows.   For some this new work-life balance might become a permanent way of life, although I’ve heard some complaints that working remotely means even longer hours as there is no longer any distinction between office and home.

If the key to happiness is the perfect work-life balance, then what happens when that balance is way out of whack and how do we realign it? This month’s Literary Salon pick, Lean Out – A Meditation on the Madness of Modern Life by Tara Henley, addresses that issue.

Here’s the Publishers Blurb from Goodreads:

“In 2016, journalist Tara Henley was at the top of her game working in Canadian media. She had traveled the world, from Soweto to Bangkok and Borneo to Brooklyn, interviewing authors and community leaders, politicians and Hollywood celebrities. But when she started getting chest pains at her desk in the newsroom, none of that seemed to matter.

The health crisis–not cardiac, it turned out, but anxiety–forced her to step off the media treadmill and examine her life and the stressful twenty-first century world around her. Henley was not alone; North America was facing an epidemic of lifestyle-related health problems. And yet, the culture was continually celebrating the elite few who thrived in the always-on work world, those who perpetually leaned in. Henley realized that if we wanted innovative solutions to the wave of burnout and stress-related illness, it was time to talk to those who had leaned out.

Part memoir, part travelogue, and part investigation, Lean Out tracks Henley’s journey from the heart of the connected city to the fringe communities that surround it. From early retirement enthusiasts in urban British Columbia to moneyless men in rural Ireland, Henley uncovers a parallel track in which everyday citizens are quietly dropping out of the mainstream and reclaiming their lives from overwork. Underlying these disparate movements is a rejection of consumerism, a growing appetite for social contribution, and a quest for meaningful connection in this era of extreme isolation and loneliness.

As she connects the dots between anxiety and overwork, Henley confronts the biggest issues of our time.” 

Discussion: (or why I liked it)

When I first started working in the early 1980’s, 9-5 actually meant 9-5, with lunch and coffee breaks too.  At my first job the majority of the work was done in the morning and afternoons were devoted to staff meetings etc. We would often have cake at these meetings, (it was always somebody’s birthday) and after a small pre-closing rush, be out the door at 5pm.   (Does it say something about me that what I remember most about my first job is the cake? It was chocolate with the most divine icing, from a bakery in town and someone would run down on their lunch hour and pick it up.)  Nobody stayed late, although someone was on (paid) call for the rare emergency.

When I ended my career forty years later, long hours and unpaid overtime were the norm and the expectation. We were so chronically understaffed that many nights I would arrive home still in overdrive and not be able to decompress for hours.  There were no meal breaks, except a scarfed down sandwich when your blood sugar got too low to function, lots of cold coffee, and few washroom breaks. (The dilemma in health care is if you don’t get the work done, it’s the patient who suffers.)

The sad thing about the workplace, is that my experience has become the new normal, no matter what your job.  If you’re caught up in the work/eat/sleep cycle, doing more with less, and with impossible quotas or targets to meet, you may feel you’re lucky enough to have a job, especially in these perilous economic times, and not be in a position to complain.   

While I enjoyed my work and was never bored, it was the working conditions which were the problem, and eventually I was just too burnt-out to continue. After a bout of stress-related chest pain, I opted for early retirement. Although retirement was an adjustment, living on less, I’m a happier person now and more relaxed.  My former colleagues tell me I look better, younger – I get more sleep.

 So I could really relate to Tara Henley’s story – right down to the chest pain.   (Tara did eventually go back to work in media as she is the CBC producer who contacted me about the radio interview for my mother’s art exhibit. I discovered this book when I googled her name).   Several years ago at the age of 40, she started having chest pains at her desk and decided to take a time-out to seek a better life-work balance, a journey she researched and documented in her book, Lean Out.

She wrote the book partially in response to the book Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook. I did not read Lean In when it was published a few years ago as I was no longer working and not interested in any book about how to achieve success in the workplace, but I recall hearing lots of backlash about it – mainly that the author, a white woman of privilege, had a tendency to unfairly blame women for not achieving more success in the workplace. Women were advised to lean in…..as opposed to opt-out of their careers.  Easy to say if you can afford child-care and domestic help as you climb the corporate ladder – the majority of working women I know are just plain exhausted.

I suppose it depends on what stage in your career you are at, but even if you absolutely love your job, it can become like a blood-sucking vampire, draining the life out of you if you don’t take sufficient time away from it. Time away renews your soul and gives you a fresh perspective. I grew up in the baby-boomer age of dedicated employees with work ethic, but companies today can’t expect loyal employees if they treat them poorly or don’t value them at all. How many young people today have full time jobs with benefits and guaranteed pensions?

Being older also gives you a different perspective on work. No one ever said on their deathbed that they wished they has worked more – in fact, most people say the exact opposite. They wish they had worked less and lived more. Mostly I’m mad at myself for putting up with such bad working conditions.

Lean Out was released in the spring of 2020, just before the pandemic hit, but in a premonition of what was to come, it has much to say about our current situation.   In many ways COVID has forced people to reassess their work-life balances.  Can we live on less?  Cook at home more?  Will we ever go back to the old ways – working in office buildings and rushing here and there.  Do we want to?  

I really wish I had read this book when I was still working, as I could relate to so much of the material, (except for the hip-hop – I’m way too old for that. Tara got her start in journalism by writing music reviews). It’s so profound and full of common-sense wisdom, and so well written.  Here’s an excerpt from page 152.

“What gave me joy, it turned out, was pretty simple.  Waking up every day without an alarm.  Reading all the books on my nightstand.  Eating when I was hungry, resting when I was tired, staying at home when I was under the weather.  Moving my body every day.  Being outside.  Cooking for people I cared about. 

The key to contentment, I realized, was time.  And the more time I had, the less money I needed.  I didn’t need treats to boost my spirits during a rough week, because my week was never particularly rough.  I didn’t need lavish vacations, as Your Money or Your Life put it, my daily life was not something I needed to vacate.  When my true needs were met, I did not need to compensate with stuff.”

There are chapters on unplugging from the internet, seeking solace in nature, loneliness and finding your tribe (40% of young people living in big cities are single dwellers who often don’t have a social support network and can’t afford the rent let alone save for the future), the meaning of home, and living on less – well documented with research, interviews and personal anecdotes.

This book is not a simplistic how to manual, but a beautifully written blueprint for a realistic way to live a happier and saner life.   I wish I had “leaned out” sooner.

45 thoughts on “The Literary Salon: Lean Out – A Meditation on the Madness of Modern Life”

  1. Anne says:
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    I must look out for this book – would love my work-stressed children to read it too. For them home and work have blurred horribly since the start of COVID (while I am grateful to have retired). My working life was very stressful indeed: teaching is more than a full-time job; I would devote time to the growing/differing needs of my growing children and, once they were in bed, settle down to mark or prepare work, often getting to bed close to midnight only to have to rise before six to start all over again. Thank you for drawing our attention to it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      Oh I know Anne….I had many high school friends who went into teaching, not a 9-5 job, and probably worse now with all the government regulations and paperwork, and changing the curriculum so often, esp. the math, that it’s hard to keep up with it all. Most teachers I know got out as soon as they could – age 55 here in Ontario with the teachers pension.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. www.rosesintherainmemoir.wordpress.com says:
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    Wonderful essay-like book review, Joni! There was a time in my life when I thrived in the world of leaning in, both as a newspaper journalist and a political activist on the local and state level, with young children at home (that’s why all the PTA work and lobbying the state legislature on behalf of children, making a difference in their lives). I absolutely LOVED that work-life balance because I was blessed to be able to work at home and telecommunicate, except when I went out on interviews for my writing assignments, or to the state capitol to testify before committees. That was an education for the children when they were free to accompany me. My teenaged son even got involved!

    Now that I’m retired from the paper, I still “work” at home –writers don’t stop writing. I’ve researched and written Bible commentaries based on the lectures I used to teach in my classes. I’ve published a handful of poems. Bragging? Of course I am!

    These days, all of us have a great built-in excuse to stay home, to read all or binge on Netflix, even to stay in bed and sleep. If anyone should ring the door bell, I’m simply “not at home.” Unfortunately, I lack a parlour maid to announce that “Madame is out.” Alas, I even lack callers. Lots and lots of social media. For that, Madam is very much at home.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      Jo, it sounds like you’ve had a long and exciting career! I guess there’s a time in one’s life to lean in (when we have more energy) and a time to lean out (when we need afternoon naps!). I’m happy to be done with work, and busy with fun stuff.

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      • annieasksyou says:

        So interesting and worthwhile, Joni. I’m glad to hear that someone has smartly taken on Sandberg’s lean in. And I appreciated your weaving your own experiences into this review. Your early retirement was clearly necessary and well-earned. Enjoy!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Thanks for reading Annie. I guess you must have read it? I never read Lean In, and never wanted to, as I usually try and avoid anything to do with anyone from Facebook, but do remember reading about the backlash. Yes, early retirement was the best thing I ever did – and I wish I had left even earlier. I know I was fortunate to be able to do that, but sometimes it’s your money or your life!

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  3. Dave says:
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    The biggest obstacle for me – which I never overcame – was finding the energy to pursue other opportunities at the same time I was holding down a job with a debatable work-life balance. My job was so draining the last thing I wanted to do with my free time was to job search. I find this to be true for my children’s generation as well; they have nothing left at the end of the day. Then there’s the added pressure of solo breadwinner for the family and/or not wanting to give up the securities of the job (ex. decent salary, benefits). Perhaps this book speaks to this challenge – it’s a tough one.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      Oh I agree totally Dave. That’s why I stuck it out for years – job security, benefits and the effort of trying to find a better one without having to move, which might just turn out to be more of the same. If you have a family to support and kids to put through school, that’s an added reason not quit, and companies know that and often take advantage of it. I see a big difference from the 80’s where they would hire the best and treat them well, and now, where workers are regarded as interchangeable parts, the cheaper the better, as it’s all about maximizing profit. Its a dilemma for sure, but I found that episode with the chest pain really motivating in terms of making me re-evaluate things! Luckily I was able to retire early, many people are not.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Ally Bean says:
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    I leaned out before most of my peers. This book sounds like it’ll make my heart sing with joy knowing that other people have grasped how: “Time away renews your soul and gives you a fresh perspective.” Thanks for sharing the book here.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. ruthsoaper says:
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    I can vouch for the happier and saner life. In 2007 after my husband and I got married I left my job to become fulltime mom and home manager. My kids were no longer little but being around during their teen years was probably as important as being around when they were young. My husband was making a six figure income at the time so there wasn’t much sacrifice in me leaving my job. In 2015, however we made the decision for my husband to leave his job sailing great lakes freighters. I am convinced the stress was killing him and I don’t think he would be alive today had he continued.
    I am sure our situation is not a blueprint for most people because my husband was/is receiving a pension as he had already retired in 1998 after 20 years in the US Coast Guard. We also had quite a bit of savings to fall back on. He just turned 62 and will now be able to collect his Social Security retirement benefits.
    What I can say is that the freedom that we have experienced in not having to answer to the job far out weighs any sacrifices we have made to live on less $.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Linda Schaub says:
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    This was an interesting post Joni – I think I will put the book on my “to read” list for down the road when I have time to read, something that continues to elude me, especially when I ask myself “how can I read a book, when I can’t keep up reading here on WordPress?” But I digress.

    Like you who took an early retirement and are pleased that you did, I waffle back and forth at least once per day on whether I made a smart move back in 2011 in doing this gig. I hope this is my last full year of employment as I am similarly burnt out and have a difficult time going to my job every day. But, it my fault that I opted to stay at this job after getting laid off during the aftermath of the Recession, then staying home full-time with my mom after her health issues and severe dizziness. After my mom passed away suddenly, I did not have the heart to look for another job right away – I needed some time to just evaluate my life and what to do next. When I was offered to return to my job on a part-time basis in 2011 I should have said “no” as I was only 55 years old and could have worked in a full-time position with benefits like vacation, personal days, none which I have now. I said I would return to work part-time, but not on site and take a cut in pay to do so. Whether that was the right or wrong decision is something I ask myself every single day as I said above. But I also know that I would never have started my walking regimen, nor writing, two things that have been more fulfilling than anything else I have done in my life, with maybe the exception of traveling.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
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      I think it was the best move for you Linda, considering your situation with your mom and then losing her so suddenly. Would you have wanted the stress of adapting and commuting to another full time job so soon? I would never have taken so early a retirement at 59 if we hadn’t gotten bought out by a new company and then the health issues the year after. Sometimes stuff happens for a reason. I couldn’t imagine looking after my mom and working full time now. I was wondering if Biden’s minimum-wage increase passes and goes into law, if you would get a raise? When that happened here, they had to bump up all the other workers on the grid too to keep it in proportion, as otherwise the store cashiers were making more money than the technicians who had much more responsibility. But minimum wage is a provincial law here.

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      • Linda Schaub says:

        That is true Joni – I have often said I wished I’d taken a year off though and maybe traveled a little first and seen what few places remained on my bucket list, but I would not have done that right after my mom died as that would not have been proper or respectful to do so, though the last year of her life was difficult. But now, in a post-pandemic era, I am not sure I would ever feel safe traveling again to be honest with you. Maybe in five years or ten years? I don’t know but I’d be older too which is a consideration . But in retrospect, to take a year off and do some things after a while would have made sense to me. Too late to look back though, but the lure of working from home and not working on site was too great at that time. I like the gig insofar as my hours, but I don’t like that I settled for such a low wage … but I was burnt-out from the commute (and I didn’t drive) and I needed to just have something easy for a while – now most legal/other secretaries work from home due to COVID. To answer your question about being paid more – I don’t think he will raise my wage in the least and it disgusts me that in all these years working from home, he has not raised my wage, but it disgusts me more that I have just agreed to his terms.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        I don’t think you would have enjoyed traveling after her death Linda, as you wouldn’t have been in the right frame of mind to enjoy yourself. I find routine is better after a death. You did what was best at the time. I don’t intend to travel for a long time either, COVID would have to be practically wiped out to get me to go anywhere any time in the next few years and then it would have to be either a tour or a long stay with optional excursions and lots of time for rest, either Italy or France.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        You are right of course Joni – my heart would not have been in it. I don’t have anyone now to look after the house. You can stop the mail but checking the doors or looking around the house. Trying the doors to ensure everything is okay. It’s not the same as when my parents were here and I just jetted off without a care. At least Marge was healthy then and could have kept an eye out. France and Italy and also Alaska are really the only big items on my travel bucket list. I would like to see the Fall foliage in New England as well, but those are the three main places. My boss is leaving on vacation for Florida on Monday – 2 1/2 weeks. He/his wife got their second COVID shot about 10 days ago. I would not be that brave – they’re flying, not driving.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Um…..how did they manage to get their shots that soon? I was reading the comments on someone’s blog and so many were even having difficulties booking an appointment, and he’s already got his 2nd? That’s the problem with traveling, I’ve heard that your house insurance is not upheld unless you have someone checking on your house regularly while you are away. I think this might be a fairly new rule?

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Well, he will be 74 on March 10th and she is 66 or 67 so they were able to get in the first group of people over 65 and also he might have gotten in due to his recent prostate cancer. Not sure. They got the first shot on January 22nd and the second one on February 12th. All I’ve heard today is about the integrity of the J&J vaccine and that if they can roll out a substantial amount of J&J (I guess J&J over-promised and will fall short) in March and hopefully 100,000 by the end of June, that is the vaccine going in more arms to get everyone done ASAP to quell the pandemic. I wonder if we won’t get a choice in the matter of waiting on the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to be available like we wanted to do? I think they should give 65+ or close to it that option. Just my opinion. That is not good to hear … probably the same here. There is no one I would ask. Jeff never bothered to shovel his sidewalk or driveway, despite the fine. It was heavy and I did mine and I’m five years older than him … and his son is in his 20s … now it is all melted so isn’t that nice. There is no one I could ask – especially on the other side as she’s a piece of work. I’d ask Ann Marie and know she would do it, but she lives about five or six miles from me each way so I don’t like to do that. I’ll bet the police don’t do that nicety either. Sigh. I am going to send you a link in another comment … read this on Twitter, a possible inclusion or even topic for a baking post.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        I’m not sure if you’ve had your birthday yet Linda? but wouldn’t you qualify now too? I’m annoyed tonight as the Ont. government announced their vaccine roll out plan today and my age group is not scheduled to BEGIN until July 1st! So by the time I’m done that will be the summer wasted. I will be able to register Mom starting Mar 15 or 18, so she could be done in March or April, assuming we have enough vaccine. But Phase 2, 60-80 yrs will go down by 5 years, 75-80 late April, 70-74 in May, 65-70 in June, 60-64 in July….seems like a long time to wait. They are not sure when some of the younger but higher risk people will slot in. It seems really disorganized, and conflicting as they are leaving the roll out to the 35 individual health units, and yet the registration website will be centrally run, and you can just see it crashing, which is what happened to the one in Alberta when too many people tried to access it on the first day. Some of the health units are starting their own pre-registration lists, but not ours. It would be a shame to have supply sitting there and no way to make an appointment. I’m just tired of it all…..

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I am tired of the whole thing here as well Joni. I am registered at my grocery store (Meijer), and from the two local Facebook sites I follow for neighborhood crime and chatter, I see that Meijer in the next city over is vaccinating people without hassle and some people were on their second shot. I got an e-mail about a month ago to register and I did and asked Ann Marie if she/husband had the vaccine – neither had. She registered them both at Meijer – they are 78 and 84 and he has health issues; not called yet as she said she’d let me know. Frustrating – so how are people are their second shot already? On my City’s Facebook site, which I follow for official notifications from the City (not crime/neighborhood chatter), they made an announcement today (video from the Mayor) that people over 65 could call starting March 1st and be vaccinated at the senior center for convenience. When they are done with this group of vaccines, they will start the next group of people. That is around the corner from me. This is City residents only and you must show proof of residency and an insurance card. Then after the 65 and 65+ are done, they will start at next level. I will turn 65 on April 14th. I may get in that way I’m thinking.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Sorry Linda, I thought your birthday was in February, but still April is better than July. By the time I get my 2nd shot the summer will be half over, so there goes any summer plans. I wonder how the pharmacy is deciding? They may be doing their patients with risk factors first? No pharmacy plans here yet, just talk. That’s all we get is – talk, talk, talk…..

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        My mom’s birthday was in February … Valentine’s Day, so perhaps you were thinking of that. They had another announcement by the City that the 65 and older residents should not worry if they can’t get in next week. They have staggered the telephone sign-ups by having three phones and dividing up alphabetically. J&J got their authorization today and they are really pushing getting whatever is available first, no matter what type you get … grab what you can. Maybe before July it might be available as they say that 100 million J&J vaccines will be rolling out as soon as next week. I think they should save the J&J for younger people, maybe under 50 … everyone else gets Pfizer or Moderna shot and they keep mentioning that people innoculated with Pfizer or Moderna shots may need a booster to ward off the variant viruses. I hope you don’t have to wait until mid-Summer to get your first shot … yes, the long-awaited Summer will be put on pause just like last year.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Canada just approved the Astra Zeneca today and Trudeau ordered even more of them, but they are apparently not as good against the South African variant or in older folks, so they are talking booster doses later. It’s hard to know what is fact and what is rumors or based on small studies. I don’t think even the experts know. It’s too soon to tell. I would probably take whatever I could get in hopes of salvaging the year.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I heard an expert on the radio this morning. I’ll see if I can send the link – they have a feature where you rewind and can get a link; if so, I’ll send it separately as it may cause the comment to go to SPAM. This doc is on a panel reviewing the vaccines and he said the same thing for the “doubters” (like you for AZ and me for J&J) … he thinks there may be a booster shot needed for all the vaccines down the road, not just J&J as it’s efficacy is so low – he pointed out that we don’t hesitate to get a flu shot and its efficacy rate is about the same. I’m going to try and send it to you in a separate comment now.

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      • Joni says:

        Thanks….I just listened to it. I read today that the J&J was tested later when the variants were already circulating, (as opposed to the other two where it had not mutated yet), which may contribute to it’s lower efficacy, or it just may be the older method of manufacture, as it is more in line with the Astra one. Now i’m caught up on Reader and am going to read my book now – I feel like I’ve been neglecting my poor books!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Dr. Monto is the Chair of the Vaccine Committee and is on WWJ periodically. I like that he is not too nerdy, so easy to understand. I keep hearing to just go for what you can get … like you hear with the Astrazeneca one. I am surprised no one is bringing up the the big J&J lawsuits over talcum powder. That has been so controversial over here. My mom and grandmother used it for decades. Well, I may have caught up, but then when I got here tonight, the comments back to what I commented on awaited me, not to mention more stuff in Reader. The way I see it, just as you do with reading, it becomes an either/or dilemma. I treat myself to two hours of TV every Friday night – my reward for slogging through the work week, and I go to WP first, read/respond in “Comments” only, but leave thinking “well that wasn’t nice that I didn’t go to Reader.” But I made that rule for myself for Friday night, just as I did for the seven episodes of “ACG&S”. I may never get to the books that I bought for 2020.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        Thanks Linda. I saw that yesterday on the news. I have’t noticed any difference in spreadability with the Gay Lea brand I buy, and I made grill cheese for supper tonight and it was soft at room temp. But the taste of butter and milk and cheese does depend on what the cows eat or are fed. When my dad’s cows went out to pasture in late spring, the grass-fed diet made the milk taste so awful we wouldn’t drink it for a few weeks. Same as when I was in Ireland, I couldn’t stand their butter, milk or cheese – it all had that same grass-fed taste, including my McDonalds milkshake. I learned to take my tea black!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Well he gave me a 35-page handwritten chronology of events in the automobile industry … it is all out of order and he gave me that last Friday. I worked on about five pages of it Monday, then, when I saw his flight info arrive in his inbox and saw he was leaving Monday the 1st, I said we need to get the invoices done by Friday. We always send them out on the first or second of the month … I don’t want to work this weekend as I’m spending Saturday getting all the tax stuff together. As to him being gone, invariably something always happens with a client who has a problem whenever he’s gone. I hope that doesn’t happen as I really need a break. We’ve been busy for months along with all the stuff swirling around the house, little things breaking, the Medicare documentation needed and the weather, minor things, but it has all left me weary of everything. Thankfully I’m not out and about dealing with COVID.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I would love to do that but I have to be here to check e-mail and phone messages. It will give me an opportunity to write some posts to get ahead. When I wasn’t busy last Summer, I was ahead a few weeks, maybe three weeks ahead at one time. Then I could stay caught up here. Tonight, as soon as I’ve finished Comments, I’m headed to Reader where I’ve not been since Sunday evening. That is the problem – if I could stay caught up there like I used to be, the Comments and the Reader reading could be done every night when I logged off for the night. Then I stayed up until I was all caught up – I don’t want to do that and exist on five, maybe six hours of sleep. The longer I stay up, the more difficult it is to get up with the first alarm. I set two alarm clocks. Anyway, I said the beginning of the year, I’d be in bed by 10:00 p.m. – it happens about once a week, if that. I’m having issues with my internet. It cuts out, the little icon says “initiating” and it stays out a few minutes, then returns. At night, it freezes what I’m reading/commenting on for a few minutes. But at work, I lose my connection and have to reconnect again. It says to uninstall a driver and reinstall an updated one. Not sure I want to do that. I asked if I can have Ron help if I run into difficulty and he said “yes” … I thought it might be the modem/router (it is one machine, a combo modem/router, first combo I’ve had). I don’t want Comcast in, but research said it was easy. Didn’t sound easy to me though.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        The only time I had to update a driver I had to get someone else to do it – it only sounds easy if you know what you’re doing. So you don’t really get time off when boss is away, just hopefully less busy.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I will probably have Ron remote in since my boss said it was okay to ask him. I only lost my connection twice at work today. When it happens at night, I don’t always see it go out – it just went out about 2 minutes ago and came back before I finished my comment. A driver sounds like a major item to me – not something I want to tangle with. I finished all the invoices today and got them printed and dated March 1st. He had hinted that we could do this Saturday. I am doing the tax stuff tomorrow and that will likely take me all day as I toss all the envelopes which have documents I give to the tax guy into a canvas box and once a year I open them. It is a big job and do a chart to send to the tax guy. I drop off my taxes now – have done that 5-6 years. Then just pick them up when ready and give them a check in advance, so if the weather is bad, then I don’t go. I started that long document Monday, then had other stuff to do all week in conjunction with the invoices. He left early and I went back into the document – still boring and still just plain busy work. My internet went out again while doing this comment … this time it said “authenticating” But it’s back again.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. karen says:
    Reply

    Thank you for highlighting this read! Like you, I certainly could have used this years ago while losing myself in a challenging profession. I look forward to reading it now, though, as it may confirm what I found to be true. Getting back into the rhythm of life and body is a long journey when you’ve strayed far… but well worth the journey home.
    Thank you for your superb summary and recommendation!

    Liked by 1 person

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