Who knows, doing nothing could become a very productive habit, maybe even a pathway to some peace of mind. You never know until you try….
I HAVE DECLARED today a “nothing day.”
It is a new concept for me, and I am looking forward to seeing how it goes.
Each morning I generally wake up with my mind back in the day when I would get up, shower, shave, get dressed and rush off to do something productive.
Even though most days when I wake up I don’t have a lot to do that would be considered productive, at least in the 9-5 sense, I still have the mindset. But this morning, I woke up at 7:30. I had a nice, relaxing weekend and the plan was to do some serious exercising, some brain work and generally end the day feeling like I’d shoveled some good dirt.
Except, I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay in bed. And I did, for a while. Connie calls me each morning from the memory care unit and after she called this morning, I dozed a bit more. Then I got up, made coffee, read the papers online, mostly the comics, did some puzzles then watered the plants. Bought my granddaughter a TV and stand for the new apartment she is sharing with some other members of the West Chester University swim team.
My gym bag is hanging in the closet by the apartment door, all ready to go down to the Y with me. Except, it’s not going anywhere, because I am not going to the Y. As soon as I get done typing this little post, I think I will go back to bed. It’s not that I am all that tired, it just seems like a “nothing” thing to do, and since I have declared this a “nothing day,” I will do it.
When I finally get up I think I will do some reading. Maybe a crossword if that does not amount to too much heavy lifting for a nothing day. I will go down to the memory care unit this evening and Connie and I will begin watching saved episodes of “Clarkson’s Farm.” It is the sort of how that someone with dementia can follow and get a chuckle out of.
When I leave there, I will come home and watch another episode of Midsomer Murders. I am in Season 9. Then I will go back to bed.
Maybe tomorrow will be a “something day,” with exercise, worthwhile things accomplished.
But, if not, well…..maybe down this road lies a little bit of peace. Who knows?
Rich Heiland is a retired journalist and semi-retired consultant, trainer and public speaker. During his journalism career he was a reporter, editor, publisher, college instructor, part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team and a National Newspaper Association Columnist of the Year honoree. He also writes the intodementia.com blog about his family’s experience with dementia. He lives in West Chester, PA and can be reached at [email protected].