Melbourne’s weather is weird and wonderful. That said, so is Sydney’s, Brisbane’s and Western Australia’s – although theirs seem to be biased towards the warmer side of the world.
A few weeks ago, Melbourne was shivering through one of the coldest weeks on record. Going out at lunch seemed like an inconvenience and after work plans were forgone in favour of nights at home on the couch and lots of red wine. Any kind of social activity was relegated to the bottom of the list, let alone any kind of exercise.
I have to confess, I wrote this piece in my pyjamas, after a hearty pasta dish and several glasses of red. I was wearing a tee shirt inside – with the heat pumped up to MAX – (a sin if my father knew how high the heating was).
As much as there are elements of winter I dislike, that cold week certainly created one positive.
But whilst I mentioned the wine, and the heavy meal, I also baked a cake for the office (double bonus of using the oven as a heating device) and washed the dishes. My house looked like a Chinese laundry from all the washing I had scattered all over it and the pile of paperwork on the floor was evidence of a good hard look for all those documents I needed for my tax return in a few weeks.
But what was I really thinking about? The bliss of running a bath and reading the pile of magazines on my coffee table, or painting my nails and actually letting them dry properly, thus having no smudges that require explaining the next day.
That cold, cold weather gave me the gift of time and time is of the essence.
Time is the only thing you actually can’t buy on Mastercard. While we laugh at the ‘priceless’ moments portrayed in the ads, I do believe the only thing you can’t swipe for is extra seconds, extra minutes, extra hours, extra days.
How much would you pay for a few more seconds to make the tram? A few more minutes to get through all those red lights when you are running late? Another hour to finish that proposal; an extra day in the week to get to the footy and brunch with the girls and dinner with the family?
I find time to be my scarcest commodity of late. There is just never enough of it, no matter how you plan. Lateness is my pet hate, yet I find myself running late more and more. I don’t have time to see the people I like, and even less to do the things I enjoy.
Choosing between things you like and things you love becomes habit, though it makes it really easy to say no to things you are just really not that keen on. I’ve become an expert at prioritising – though I still don’t think I always make the right choice.
Tonight, that choice was dinner with a friend – a dear friend – or a night of me time. Sometimes I need the ‘me’ time. And even then, the me time is compromised. Dishes or magazines? Washing or a relaxing bath? Cooking and wine, or a session at the gym?
And after a long day at work, me time is important. As much as I often feel I need to cram as much as I can into the 24 hours a day I am given, sometimes the most important thing you can do in a day is take a minute, and just breathe.
You have probably heard about how relaxed everyone in Europe is? I went to Paris recently (and I recommend you go there too) and I have to admit, they are doing something right. It took me several days to realise no one was carrying take away coffee. I myself was holding one, on the subway, when I had this lightbulb moment, which initially led me to think there must have been some kind of law against it (and I drank VERY quickly then) but it is simply because they take their time at life. In Melbourne, it feels like we are always in a hurry, take away cup glued to our hands.
Sit in the café and drink your coffee. Don’t care if you are alone – watch the world go by. Take a deep breath. Remember why you loved your job on the first day. Smile when you think of your partner; best friend; children. Savour the taste of your latte (cause this is one thing Paris doesn’t do well). Just take a moment for you.
Forget about the pile of washing. The dishes. That trip to the gym you know you need to make this week. Guilt is almost a guilty pleasure in itself – a reason to feel sorry for ourselves that we don’t have enough time for us. Make time. Eat the pasta. Drink the wine. Savour the rain and cold because it gives you a legitimate reason to be in your pyjamas midweek reading magazines. The work proposal can wait til 9am tomorrow morning. No one will die if you just wait.
Life is too short. The best things in life are free – or at least pretty cheap. You have to remember you are number one.
Live, Laugh, Love.
