I work from home, so water cooler talk or stories in the office kitchen are not part of the culture. I miss the chit-chat about what we did last night, how was vacation, and what the kids have been up to lately. Now, it’s just me and my Keurig, and it isn’t much of a talker.
So, if I were sitting in a cafe with you, I’d love to hear what’s happening in your world. How is the family? What are you reading now? How’s work? Where are you going on vacation this summer?
And maybe I’d ask you a personal question or two, like How are you doing? What’s on your mind? How can I help? And perhaps you would ask me the same questions in return. Here is how I would answer you.
How am I doing? Not too bad, actually. Although I’m feeling my age a little because I haven’t exercised in a while. Scott and I went for a walk in the park a couple of weekends ago, and it wore me out. There were a bunch of hills in that park, and I need to get back in shape. I also need new sneakers.
What’s on my mind? My book. I’m thinking of going in a different direction. I still want to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease, but as I look at my life, there are other things I want to write about. Like how my relationships and friendships have changed as I get older. And how I’m parenting my adult children and trying not to parent my parents. I might want to write about the challenges I’ve faced and the lessons I learned. I’ve lived long enough now to put it down on paper. And even if it doesn’t ever get published, it will be something my family will have as a keepsake – and I will still be known to future generations.
How can you help? Maybe we can make more of an effort to go out for coffee or dinner. I miss my friends, and now that we have a little more time on our hands, we should get together more often and not take our friendship for granted. I love spending time with you and always feel better when we talk. Let’s make that happen soon.
What do you think?
XO,
Elisa
Back on April 1st, I promised you 30 blog posts in 30 days. I knew I had a business trip planned, but I thought I’d be able to write some things ahead of time and line them up to publish while I was away.
When I was younger, packing for a business trip was so much easier. I calculated how many days the conference lasted plus the number of mandatory business dinners. I added in a few fun tops to wear to the “after-hours” activities (also known as hitting the bars with co-workers) and made sure to include comfortable travel clothes. My biggest conundrum was figuring out how to pack my suitcase with the least amount of shoes. They took up so much room! The trick was to wear the bulkiest shoes on the plane, so I always had sneakers with me. But I still had no less than three pairs of work shoes in tow. (No pun intended).