Back to Business; Back to Balance

The holidays--for me, anyway--are always a nice change of pace, a bit of a breather, a chance to relax, but I get so wildly off-schedule.  In one respect, it's fantastic not having to be anywhere at any specific time for most of a week and a half and sometimes more, especially since the stretch before is so darn hectic.  In another respect, being that I am an Aspie, going off-schedule really throws me off-balance.  So it's a mixed bag.  Two factors remain consistent from year to year, however: 1) the holiday period is always over too soon, and 2) I never get as much done as I hope to.

I don't really celebrate...well, much of anything. :P  To me, we should give thanks on more than just Thanksgiving; we should embrace the spirit of giving and joy more often than just around Christmas; we should strive to better ourselves and seize the eternal opportunity for new beginnings more often than just at the turn of the year; we should celebrate diversity on more than just Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day; we should celebrate love more often than just on Valentine's, celebrate life and consider our personal integrity and the concept of sacrificing for others more often than just on Easter, consider the earth and our impact on the environment more often than just on Earth Day, thank our mothers more often than just on Mother's Day, honor those who have given their lives for our country more often than just on Memorial Day, thank our fathers more than just on Father's Day, celebrate and consider freedom more than just on Independence Day, honor our veterans and troops more often than just on Veteran's Day...and so on...or whatever those holidays mean to you or whichever holidays you celebrate.  Whatever we celebrate/remember/honor, it's my opinion we should carry the spirit of that with us all the time, not just on a single designated day or string of days.  So, to me, one day's pretty much the same as any other.  Since there's not really any sort of family gathering to speak of, holidays to me are just days off work at the most...or print on the calendar if I don't get the day off. ;) 

Once one thing in my schedule goes, it all goes.  I lose track of time easily and sometimes even become unsure what day it is since I have no solid reference.  I do some cool stuff like reorganize part of my living space and create webpages/forums but also do stuff like forget to sleep and eat for long periods of time.  I complain about having to adhere to a schedule and do things like spend most of my day at work, but that schedule provides for me a structure that helps keep my life at least somewhat organized and helps keep me from bouncing wildly from one thing to another.  So it's nice to take a break every once in a while, but as reluctant as I can be to admit it, it can also be nice to "get back into the groove." :)

I hope that--whatever holidays you may observe, if any--your holidays were wonderful and that--if it is the turn of the year for you--your new year is terrific.