Are you a busy person?

[forHISglory]

I have a friend who is very different from me. She has a part time job, and she keeps her home tidy. But other than that, she is content to sit. She doesn't sit and read, or knit, or watch TV, or play crosswords, or talk on the phone or check email. She sits. Period. One time I asked her what she does when she is home, and she simply replied, "I sit."

Now I'm not placing a good/bad value on that. But I am much different. I was talking with my mother today, and she asked me what all I did today. I began listing the usual tasks, plus what I am doing to get ready for T-Day and Christmas, and my crafting project, and some baking that I did, and took time to read some, and rushed off to my volunteer job for a couple hours, and went to the store, and to Curves..... Mom said, "You are always busy."

I come from a family of busy people; I think we are all task oriented, and take pleasure in knowing that we have accomplished our list and did our job well. Due to health concerns, Mom is no longer as busy as she used to be, but she still makes out a daily list of what she wants to do. Only these days, she might have two items on it instead of 10. Both of my grandmothers were the same way.

Sometmes I think of my friend, who sits. And sometimes I envy her. Think of the luxury of just sitting and observing and thinking and pondering and remembering and meditating..... It's not a bad thing if it doesn't go on too long. I think I would soon be itching to grab a book.

My friend and I probably are at opposite ends of the continuum. On a scale of 1-10 (with ONE being sitting, and TEN being busy), I am probably a 9 and my friend is probably a 2.

Where are you on this scale?

[peanut]

I was going to say your friend should be checked for mental health issues. One of the signs I have that I am ill is I sit all day and think all negative thoughts about imaginary things. Thankfully that hasn't happened in a long time.

I would say I am about an 8 on the scale of 1-10 in busyness. I love to keep my hands busy. And I love to alternate sitting with standing/walking/going somewhere. I visit with people, I have several craft projects on the go, I browse cookbooks/the Internet, I cook/bake/clean, I go to meetings, etc.

[Early Bird]

I'm probably about a 5 or 6:

I knit. And read. And surf the web.

But I could happily sit for an hour -- every day, if I had the opportunity.

[Palooka]

I'd say I'm a 7 or maybe 8. I'm a SAHM and I spend less leisure time on the net than some working full time people!! I'm just busy doing things in my house and I don't even craft. LOL

I enjoy it and I'm always looking for more adventures.

My mom called me 3 times today asking for Thanksgiving recipes because she knows how organized I am, she's not, but that's probably her depression.

ETA, I can multi task like no other.

[Starlight9803]

I'm probably at an 8 or 9. I do sit and read, or watch tv sometimes, but at least then I'm DOING something lol. I can't even take a relaxing shower without scrubbing down the walls and wiping off the shampoo bottles when I'm in there.

[Neeley]

I am a 3 or a 4. I am very busy from 6:15 am until 7:15 am, M-F. That is when I cook DS and DH their breakfast (eggs & sausage), pack their lunches, let the dogs out to potty and feed the dogs and cats.

Once DH and DS leave for school and work, I do not have anything to do until 5:00 pm. That is when I heat dinner (DH has been cooking all of the meats on Sundays and Thursdays - all I have to do is put it in the oven). I also wash the dishes while the sides are cooking and the meat is heated.

After dinner I get the lettuce, celery and chicken ready for their lunches, put the bottled waters in the fridge, and feed the dogs/cats dinner.

After that I am free until the next morning. DH does the laundry at night, bathrooms on the weekends and then we all do the rest of housekeeping as needed. We all go to the grocery store on the weekends as well as any other major errands.

During the day I hang out with my dogs and cats, watch TV, call my parents and DD, chat with my friends, nap, surf the net, or whatever. I do not like to read, don't knit or crochet. But, will do my scrapbooks in spurts. I rarely go anywhere without DH, DS or DD (when she is home from college). First of all, I hate to drive and DH would rather I not go out and about without someone with me for safety reasons. I would not call myself "busy" since I really do not have anything pressing that has to be done, other than feeding the crew, on a daily basis.

[daylily]

I would say I'm an 8 or 9. My Mom is always telling me I need to rest but I tell her I like being busy. I rarely watch tv. I do love to read though. I can't imagine just sitting and not even reading!! I'm busiest in April-Nov when gardening, harvesting and food preserving on is going on. Nov-Mar I'm busy with house projects. I don't like "going". I much prefer to stay home.

[Laney]

I'm probably a 7 now, and a 9 from March through July during ds's baseball season. there is always laundry or dishes to do, snacks to make for the kids' and dh's lunches, dinner to cook, things to do for my dad, errands to run, cleaning to do, working on my recipe binders, reading, and I finally taught myself to crochet a simple dishcloth. during baseball season I have to cook dinner earlier in the week because ds has practice or a game 6 days a week. basketball season starts next week, but it's not so bad...only 2 practices and 1 game a week.

there are so many things I want to teach myself to do that I haven't yet, like crocheting an afghan for each of my kids and making ds a quilt out of his baseball t-shirts. I don't really see myself slowing down any time soon.

[tervsforme]

I would say I am a 9 or a 10. I am always doing something. I am the queen of multi-tasking. Even if I am watching TV, I am going through magazines that have piled up or clearing out my inbox, sorting through recipes or sewing. If I'm at my desk, the TV is usually on, I'm chatting with friends on YIM, sorting through and filing papers on my desk, most likely there is a load of laundry going. There are always things that need to be done!

[homemaker66]

I would say I am a 8-9. I get up around 5-5:30 am every morning even on the weekends. Get my coffee into me then off and going for the whole day. I work PT and then in the afternoon it is all about my family, church family and volunteer. In the evenings when it is down time I am still busy making things for people. I would not have it any other way. Blessings

[ballylarkin]

Do you mean that she literally sits down and does absolutely nothing but think? Wow, couldn't do that. I do always have to be busy and I get pretty restless. That being said, I love to be home and "putz" around doing household type things. I love to read and play games, take naps and bake, etc. That is, when I'm not working my full time job.

[monkeywrangler71]

I sleep more than most people, so that probably puts me in the not too busy category. I do tend to take on a lot of things and always want to be getting something done, but it exhausts me and then I crash.

I'm not sure I could just sit still and do nothing though, I'm not much for stillness. It would probably be nice sometimes.

[QM]

I'm probably somewhere between a 7 and 9 on the business scale depending on the day. I constantly have to do lists on the go and am trying to catch up on things and get things done.

My in laws would probably think I'm a 9 or 10 because they're more the sitting type. Their homes are messy (piles everywhere) and the women are all in the morbidly obese category. I don't think it's a healthy thing to sit too much, IMO, because you're not burning calories that way. When they come over to visit at my house I can tell they don't understand why I'm clearing off the table and starting to wash the dishes. Instead of volunteering to help, they sit and talk with DH as I clean the whole kitchen by myself. What they obviously fail to understand is that we need a tidy kitchen to prepare the next meal with them.

I'm glad I'm a busy and energetic person. It keeps me feeling young this way.

[frugalfoster]

After working 10 days straight (most of them at least 10 hours each), attending 2 baby showers (one of which I helped give), plus working on getting ready for Christmas....this week I'm probably a 10. I've only slept between 6 and 7 hours a night.

[dcompton]

I would say I am by nature a 2 or 3, but in the last couple of years I have fallen into what seem to me, for myself at least, bad habits of always busying my mind and hands. I think it is rather taking a toll and raising stress levels and wearing me down.

Some years ago it was my habit when I got home from work to go out on the apartment patio and, yes, just sit for an hour or so, watching the trees, the sunset, passing people and cars, and thinking. It was the most delicious time of the day and kept me grounded and content. A spiritual director, when I told her this, was surprised and said I was very fortunate - it takes most people years and years to be able to quiet down enough to do that. That in turn surprised me, because it seemed to be as natural as breathing.

This is a reminder that I need to make time to do that again. I will be a healthier and happier person for it. But we are all different and it's the dynamos of energy that most of you seem to be that keep the world spinning along as it should.