Just A Little Time Off

By Rory McClannahan

There is nothing more noble than work. At least that is what a genetic disposition of a protestant work ethic tells me. To take a two-month sabbatical would be unheard of to my antecedents, but that is what I did. Today was the last day of that sabbatical.

It was a somewhat involuntary sabbatical, the result of a new job that didn’t quite work out and the delay in obtaining new employment. If I’m being honest with myself, though, I think my time off was more voluntary than I would admit to my father or either of my grandfathers. However, I like to toy with the idea that maybe they would understand and appreciate my sabbatical.

I certainly do not feel guilty about my time away from work, it was fairly obvious to me that I needed a break. Except for a six-month break when I was laid off several years ago, I have been working for more than 45 years. I was fortunate in that I had money saved up for a break and I am certainly appreciative that the break is over after a mere two months. That last involuntary sabbatical was not pleasant or relaxing, I spent six months looking for a job while living with a wife who wanted to leave and very little scratch in the bank.

If there was one thing that first bout of unemployment taught me it was to prepare for the next time it happened. I guess that one of the things you come to realize as you age is that our march through time is basically moving from one crisis to the next and the best you can do is enjoy the quiet times in between and try the best you can to prepare for the next shit storm because you know it’s coming.

A little time away is something I definitely recommend. It’s too bad we can’t all take an extended break every couple of years. I know I was fortunate in that everything worked out as best as I could expect. I might be singing a different tune if this was November instead of August. The thing about a sabbatical is that it gives you an opportunity to recharge your batteries and learn a little bit about yourself and the world around you.

So, what have I learned? A lot of things, and I’ll give you a quick run down.

Things I learned On My Sabbatical

• The idea of a sabbatical comes from the Old Testament, except that it had more to do with giving pastures a rest every seventh year from planting. Having covered farm and ranch issues for a newspaper, I can say that isn’t bad land management. However, we tend to think about sabbaticals as something college professors take to do a research project or some such thing.
• When talking about your sabbatical with other people, don’t tell them you are on sabbatical. It’s stuffy and pretentious and people will accuse you of being lazy. In addition, saying you are unemployed causes many people to be sympathetic, and you don’t deserve sympathy for something that is making you happy. Instead, say you are between gigs. It implies you are active.
• It’s not a bad idea to plan your days out. When I work on the clock, I have a daily To-Do List that keeps me on task. I found that if I don’t plan anything for a day, I usually won’t do anything. My genetic disposition won’t let me do nothing guilt free. It should be noted, though, that it is perfectly okay to plan on doing nothing – if you are capable of doing so.
• I like to read. A lot. This was something I already knew about myself, but given time to do so is like a wonderful dream. In two months, I think I read about 20 books, maybe more. Granted, most of them were old Gold Medal paperbacks about spies and counter assassins and spaceships and stuff like that, but there also was more challenging stuff on the reading list.
• Daytime television really sucks. I guess I knew this before I was at home during the day. But now I have really strong and somewhat violent opinions about the talk shows that are broadcast throughout the weekdays. I won’t go into those opinions except to say that the Michael Strahan I see talking about pro football on Sundays is a lot different that the Michael Strahan who blabbers on about banal topics on Good Morning America. Also, what’s the deal with Kelly Ripa and her husband?
• Home projects can be very fulfilling. Although I didn’t get everything done that I’d wanted to, I did put down new laminate flooring in four rooms, carpeting in two rooms, gravel on the driveway and dozens of little things around the house. The bigger projects are hard to get done when you have a job to go to. If you are doing it yourself it is hard to replace a floor in a weekend and still get all the regular chores done. Scheduling workmen to come in can be even more difficult.
• Grocery shopping during the day on a weekday means that you are sharing the store with retired folks. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you have to bring your patience with you. On the positive side, you don’t have to deal with the families that descend on the grocery store on the weekends, nor the empty shelves.
• It’s easy to screw up your sleep schedule, although it’s nice to wake up daily without the assistance of an alarm. In addition, a bout of insomnia that leads to watching a Clint Eastwood movie in the middle of the night will not necessarily screw up your day – just sleep later or take a nap later on.
• Enjoy your hobbies. For me, that’s writing, taking pictures and going for motorcycle rides. I didn’t care much for the flat front tire I got on my last ride, but repairing it was completed the next day. I’ve also taken some nice photos and written some on the novel I’m working on.
• Take the opportunity at professional development. I took several online seminars and workshops, and only fell asleep twice.

That’s just a short list, but the most shocking thing I learned is that I really do enjoy working. There’s an old trope that no one on their death bed laments that they didn’t spend more time at work. I suppose that may be true, but anecdotal evidence shows that inactivity kills you. I need for my mind and body to be active, otherwise I have trouble being satisfied with life. Part of that satisfaction comes from working.

On my deathbed, I may not lament having spent so much time at work, but I’m sure I’ll be worrying about a deadline I’ll be missing. It’s a genetic thing, I think.