This Used to Be My Playground

So I got up this morning and frowned in the mirror. I was NOT feeling cute today. This week saw your fair Lily change up her workout routine (OMG…damn elliptical machines are the product of the devil!), put out project fires (Without as much as a “Dynasty-esque” meltdown), and (THIS JUST IN!) a scratchy throat/slightly stuffed nose combo that was making me look like a pug.

Mentally running through my schedule of meetings for the day, I searched for a reason to stay home. But I told myself to just grow a sack and move on. Which I did. I promptly showed up to work at my normal time and sat down in my desk. In the morning chatter with my teammates, I mentioned on the fly that I wasn’t feeling so hot and that the only reason why I showed up was because we had a technology wish list meeting that had already been rescheduled twice.

The moment I had released that statement, my teammates were on me to go home after the meeting. Waving them away and wanting breakfast, I convinced them and myself that I just needed to work through it. And I was working through it…barely. But my pride just wouldn’t let me go home. It wasn’t until my boss swung around and said, “I hear you’re not feeling well today…” (Thanks for waiting until the meeting was cancelled to narc me out, gang!) that I gave in and went home. I medicated with an allergy pill and then settled in for a three hour nap. Waking up refreshed from this break, I sat up and looked around my bedroom. One thought crystallizing in my brain:

When did work become more important than my health?

Or better yet – when did our careers take over and our leisure gets left by the wayside?

My stubborn reaction to taking sick time is typical in this day and age. We are all too scared to take time off other than our allotted two weeks (Well…they tell us its two weeks) that most jobs give us for “vacation.” Anytime outside of that can be used against our performance. Low performance means the likeliness of keeping your job hovers around slim and none.

I’ve seen it first hand. As a call center supervisor, I’ve had to utter the words, “I understand you have a sick kid/husband/parent/pet – but WE need you here.”

But how idiotic! As employers, we’re making employees decide between their own flesh and blood and a paycheck. As an employee, we’re buying into the idea that our jobs are THAT important. And don’t be so smug entrepreneurs – remember those lean, hard days where you showed up because no one else would?

It seems that after grade school, play/rest/nap time disappeared. Productivity became important and all that mattered was the bottom line. Our hours at work must be accounted for and show that we’re actually doing work. When was the last time you actually took a fifteen minute break at work? Sometimes I wish I was a smoker so I’d have an excuse not to feel so guilty for wanting to step outside! And I work for someplace I consider a good employer.

Our thirst to be more “work productive” is leaking into childhood. I mentioned to Lenny the other night that I missed recess. He told me kids today miss recess. According to my teacher husband, recess and physical education are on the chopping block with schools in order to cram more classroom time in.

A playground without tether ball? No milk and cookie break? No pick up games of basketball? No embarrassing phys ed locker room stories that are supposed to scar 1 in every 10 kids (I made that last stat up – but it was funny, admit it!)?

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?!? We need some fun time and we need it stat!

I did my time sheet before I left the office today. Do you know how much Paid Time Off I have? Eighty hours. 80 HOURS. Two weeks, free and clear. And I also keep accruing it. What am I saving it for – a rainy day?

Okay – that’s it – time to figure out more play time! I’m taking back what’s mine!

…right after I finish my project reporting tomorrow.

Yeah. This is gonna take awhile.