By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher
Learning to adapt to another speed – donning my “First of All, I’m a Delight” t-shirt that Lisa Ann bought me. She gets me.
Time is a slippery slope. I spent much of my 30s, 40s and 50s with never enough of it. Raising babies, running a business, managing a household and multiple schedules – I never seemed to be able to capture enough of it. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” was my mantra.
There’s less on my “to do” list now, and it’s turning out to be a vexing situation for me. Seems like I have two speeds: Mach 10 and Asleep. I don’t cruise along at the speed limit. The state trooper that I had an impromptu encounter with last week can attest to that. And no, I didn’t get ticketed – just a stern warning to slow my roll. Little did the trooper know, that’s part of the problem.
Slowing down is uncomfortable. It doesn’t feel right. It makes me feel like I’ve forgotten to do something. I like Mach 10, hair on fire, racing to finish the next item on my “to do” list. I love lists; I love checking off items, and I have a list every day. It’s an idiosyncrasy of mine – one I’m not about to give up. List making feeds my soul and makes me feel accomplished. I’m all about the daily, weekly, short-term and long-term lists. It’s a thing.
I’m still working, still managing households and schedules, but everything seems quite cyclical now. I have adapted my business model, implemented more automation in my life, and the result is a bit more time when I’m not chained to my desk or a project 12 hours a day.
Mr. Kaminski loves down time. He loves the stopping, slowing down, wandering aimlessly. It just about does me in. He can do nothing but watch television for extended periods of time quite well, but here’s the rub. He wants me to sit with him and do the nothing – watching television. I cannot adequately grant this request, because if I’m sitting doing nothing but sitting, I’m sleeping. Two speeds, remember?
So, to combat this challenge, I multi-task. I watch with him and fold laundry, clean out my purse, make notes for the next day, but unfortunately, with the background noise of Star Trek, I cannot write. Therefore, I’ve had to find a more mindless activity to remain vertical and conscious.
Now I’m not a crafty girl. Yes, there’s two ways to define crafty. I don’t participate in crafts – creating tchotchkes. Not in my wheelhouse. Many of my girlfriends are crafty and make the cutest things. I’m just not that girl. That’s why I don’t like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s. I don’t want to purchase items with which to make stuff. If I want stuff, I will buy stuff – already made.
But to add another level of speed to my being – something between Mach 10 and Asleep – I have found it necessary to become crafty. I now can sit with Mr. Kaminski for an extended period of time watching tv as I participate in my craft. I am now a diamond painter.
Basically, I took up the activity because I like the word “diamond.” I’ll admit to that. I can now sit with my little canvass, multiple diamond rhinestones and a small tool and place colored gemstones on the appropriate numbers. It’s a lot like painting by numbers. Sure, I’m officially an old lady, but I now have another speed. I call it Sparkle.
I have no idea what I’m going to do with these diamond creations upon completion, so porch sitters, don’t be surprised if you get a glittery gift. See y’all next week – on the porch!
Patti Parish-Kaminski
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