Sick Day

I've been looking forward to a day off for a very long time. That is, a day off where there was nothing to do but lie in bed and write, because there wasn't any energy in my body to do anything requiring extreme physical effort.

Unfortunately, most sick days actually involve feeling bad enough to sleep instead of write; such is the day today, at least for the time leading up to the present moment. My head is still aching and my throat is still aching and if I get up and wander around the house looking for other things to do - and trust me when I tell you that there are plenty of other things to do around here, starting with the basement - my bones and joints will begin complaining loud enough that I will soon crawl back up the stairs to the relative comfort of my bed.

The boys have had two half-days this week (Thursday and Friday) owing to teacher conferences; since today is a half-day and a Friday, Adam invited a group of friends over to hang out and play on the computer and do whatever it is that teenagers like to do when they are facing the prospect of winter followed by spring followed by graduation followed by the Great Unknown Post-High School Mystery.

James disappeared in the direction of his friend's house around the corner.

The girls didn't have half-days this week, so they're still in school.

Cheryl is putting together a grocery list so that she can go to the store in a little while to try to compensate for all the food which will disappear over the course of the next few hours during the Teenager Onslaught.

And I'm monitoring my work email on one laptop while reviewing a Boy Scout Eagle Project on the other.

Last night, we had one of the Scouts over for the evening to help him finish his Eagle Project plan. We've been working on The Plan for several weeks now, trying to get it honed and ready for the review committee. It's a simple project, merely a set of standalone storage shelves for the church, each measuring 4 feet wide by 2 feet deep by 7 feet tall. Made of 2x4s and plywood. It's really a snap to build them. The only complication is that the Scout doesn't get to build them himself; instead, he must act as the project manager and direct the group of volunteers to build the project according to his specifications.

It's not something that most high school kids are used to doing, which is why it takes an Eagle Scout to accomplish. I think this particular Scout is learning a lot about handling projects while going through the planning process. Mostly, he seems to be learning how easy it is to get distracted from the planning process by anything and everything around him. Radio, Internet, television, cell phones - they all distract him from his purpose.

Seeing how he was struggling with this, it reminded me of how we all suffer from the same malady: an overabundance of external input, blinding us and distracting us and deafening us to the things that really matter. Realizing this has caused me to drastically reduce my presence on Facebook and other Net-related entities. It's nice to see what all my friends over the years are up to, but at the same time, it adds to the noise and fuzzes my brain. And with all the things going on in our lives, all the things that need to get done, its imperativeness diminishes. It's difficult to find the time to just sit down and surf anymore. There are things that need to be done, and critical relationships that need attention. With very few years remaining before all the kids have left the house and struck out on their own, there just isn't time to waste.

This Scout has about two months before he is too old to complete his Eagle Project. This writer has about one month before the winter snows arrive with a vengeance, locking him down to mostly indoor activities. There are many things still left to get in proper order before that day arrives, and none of them are on the Internet.