Thoughts: February 24, 2015

It feels peculiar—unnatural, even—these days of not working 50, 60 hours a week. Of not getting up and shining shoes, of putting on a suit. Of not shaving, if I don’t feel like it. My alarm clock only serves half its purpose these days. It tells the time, nothing more.

Still, it’s an enjoyable season, of having this kind of freedom at my age. To write. To explore my new home. To just. be.

Yet an incipient restlessness is growing, and over the past few days I’ve tried, in vain, to beat it back. Maybe I feel as purposeless as that clock sitting on my nightstand, gathering dust on its snooze button. Maybe I’m gathering dust, too. So I’ve been building a personal website. Finishing up some freelance assignments. Getting chapters finished. Productivity is the key. Or is it?

Today I signed up for a few online classes, on a whim. Nothing major, just an opportunity to study what I want, when I want, without the pressure of getting another degree. Learning for learning’s sake.

I’ll say this: distance learning has changed dramatically since I was in college. And for an introvert like me, it’s a God send.

Today’s goal: to make sure this rolling stone gathers no moss.