Earlier this week, my mother took all three of my kids swimming. They left in the morning (after being sunblocked within an inch of their lives) and returned in the late afternoon with chlorine scented hair and drink cups from Sonic.
I had six hours to myself, a car with half a tank of gas, and twenty bucks to my name. Those are the ingredients that dreams are made of, gentle reader. So what did I do?
I leisurely browsed at a used bookstore and an education/art store. I loitered at the library in solitary splendor. I had a quiet lunch at Long John Silvers where I read a book and sipped lemonade and ate clam strips.
And the entire time no one spoke to me at all.
It was magical. No one whined in my ear and tugged on my sleeve. No one complained that their sibling was slurping too loudly. No one asked me a single question.
After my travels, I went back home to find that everything was exactly as I had left it earlier. There were no shoes thrown all over the floor, no new dishes in the sink, no toys scattered every few feet. Everything was, dare I say? Tidy.
So I curled up on our recliner and continued reading my book. After an hour or two I stretched, put the book down, and thought “I miss my kids a bit.”
Within five minutes my mother’s car had pulled in the driveway and my offspring were barging through the door alternately arguing with one another and telling me in painstaking detail everything they had done for the past six hours.
The quiet had fled and small piles full of swim goggles, flip flops, beach towels, and water wings appeared throughout the downstairs.
But I didn’t care.
I had six hours of peace, quiet, and order. And that was enough.
****************
I’m curious, what would you have done gentle reader with six free hours, half a tank of gas, and twenty dollars? Share your ideas in the comments because at some point I’ll have a day off again and I’m looking for new ideas.
I think if it wasn’t too hot I would go to a park, and go on a short trail, then get ice cream because I did burn calories, and then take a long bath. I would then probably take a nap. Or if I felt really ambitious I would catch up on the kids scrapbooks that haven’t been updated in years!
Reading a good book is definitely high on my list. Other things would be go to lunch with a friend, peruse my nearby hobby store and see how many beads I can buy with the what’s left from lunch, and possibly create a beautiful masterpiece of jewelry! But depending on the day I just might switch the laundry so that something is working while I’m not and take a long nap! Then the creative corners of my mind would dream about alternate universes where things are not like my reality. Oh, how would it be to have a day off? It’ll be awhile before I get one, but school will be back in session soon and I can pretend to have a day off, right? Please say yes!
Yes!
I don’t know, that sounds about perfect to me (Shopping + lunch out ALONE + reading time = ALL Good!).
As I read, I was absorbing the quiet from your day and holding it deeply in my heart like a little treasure. I’m so glad that you had this day, Ami!
Me too! It’s amazing the difference six hours can make.
Sounds heavenly! Reading during the day is a luxury, so that would be on my list, but I also would love to browse eclectic little shops full of breakable knick-knacks that I otherwise cannot venture into with the children in tow! And then a pedicure.
I’d probably have sleep for some of it!
That wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.
“And the entire time no one spoke to me at all.”
That made me so, so jealous!
It sounds silly, I’m sure, but I would go to a grocery store and explore. To be able to take my time and peruse new ingredients, fruits, and packages without having to say, ‘put that back,’ or ‘no, we’re not buying that,’ or ‘stay where I can see you or we’re going home,’ every two minutes would be heavenly. I might even go find that movie that we watched a few nights ago but I didn’t hear a word of because of the constant stream of questions and commentary, not to mention the squirming and squiggling right next to me. And yes, book reading….somewhere other than the bathroom with the door locked. Is that six hours yet?
I love the idea about exploring the grocery store! I’m doing that the next time I have six hours off. Which will probably be next year.