A Simple Life?

For over a year now I’ve been taking my showers in the evening in lieu of early morning showers. I’ve been told by more than a few people, ‘Oh I just can’t do that! I simply have to have my showers in the morning.’ I used to think the same thing. But no, you don’t have to.

Certain things just don’t matter as much to me anymore. A fanciful outfit. Things that match, ha! So I’ve finally come to the realization that I’m cutting certain things out of my life, bit by bit, in order to simplify it. This is a true sign of getting older.

I’ve carried a ‘black bag’ to work every single day for almost 20 years. That bag contains my dayplanner as well as a portfolio and pad, and a few other odds and ends. If I need to print out anything at work, I’ll stick it in my black bag for transport, you get the drift. Guess you could call the ole’ black bag a ‘work purse’. Well, not only have I yet to refill my day planner for the year 2010 (okay the refills are over $20 and I’m still trying to justify the expense) but I haven’t carried my bag to work since the new year started. All the other things I’ve cut out or simplified don’t bother me. But the black bag and planner thing do. I’ve written in a dayplanner for many years, just like carrying the black bag. It may be considered an old-fashioned thing to do in the current day and time. Still though, I like being organized and quite frankly, if I don’t write things down, well they just don’t get done. I’m finding myself littered with sticky notes – notes in my purse, on my wallet, and on my computer. Hell there’s even a note on my bathroom mirror. Gotta do better in this area and score myself a refill on my dayplanner. And, get the ole’ black bag out again.

Just this weekend I traded in my big hair of the 80’s for a sleeker, shorter simpler style. That’s gonna take some getting used to. There’s a part of this that just doesn’t make sense to me though. With the simpler hairstyle, I’ve gone from 10 minutes of styling to what now is 30 minutes or more. I’ve seriously gotta work on shaving that time down.

Simplify my life. The phrase itself has always reminded me of the movie Steel Magnolias, when Shelby goes for the shorter simpler haircut upon learning of her illness. I can’t help but think of all of the women in the film, actually. Every single woman depicted in that movie had survived a curve ball that life so often throws. Don’t worry, I’ll save that for another blog.

When I finally realized what I was unintentionally doing, it almost hit me like a ton of bricks. In a way, it was almost disparaging to me. It’s funny how our mind and body ‘knows’ it’s own timeclock – and when it’s time to start slowing things down, or simplifying things in your life. Guess it’s true, there’s no turning your back on Father Time.