Cabin fever in the summer time? (06/18/07)

I am in dire need of a girlie weekend. I feel an urgent desire to shop for things I don't need. I want to walk through a store and smell all the candles while my girlfriend pushes the buttons on all the toys. I want to convince her to try on some truly ugly clothes then tell her they look good as we both dissolve in laughter. I want to eat girlie food and leave half of it behind without guilt because the portions served these days are ridiculous. I want to shop for new make-up even though the last time I wore make-up was at somebody's wedding and nobody we know is getting hitched in the near future.

I need to talk, talk, talk and listen, listen, listen until we are both all talked out. I need to share funny stories and laugh until tears run down our faces.

If I can't manage a girlie getaway then I need to find a bridge and hide under it for awhile. Running water always makes me feel better. I had a job one time that involved trying to trace a chemical spill. Part of the process was to collect samples at various points along a receiving stream. The most relaxing facet of the task was to sit under a bridge trying to decide how best to wade to the middle of the water to take a sample without slipping and falling. It was a shallow, tree-lined waterway and the crystal-clear liquid bubbled over a series of slippery shale steps before disappearing around the bend. I was very disappointed when we finally discovered the source of the contamination.

I think we all need to escape every once in awhile. It used to be that when men wanted or needed to get away from the everyday irritations they would go hang out at the lodge or if a longer break was needed they would go fishing or hunting. Sometimes they would even bring back fish or game.

My grandmother used to play cards and commiserate with her friends. My mom watches television. Kids these days seem to disappear into various video games. I used to bake, but that is out of the question since my husband developed diabetes. I am not cruel enough to make things he shouldn't have any more.

I once took an anthropology class and we discovered that this one tribe in Africa used to work about three days each week to provide the necessities for their families. I bet they never needed a vacation.

It seems society is going backwards as I don't know of anyone who works three days a week and still manages to pay the bills on time. Most of the time it seems to take two incomes just to survive so that is a minimum of 80 hours a week spent doing things we have to get paid to do.

The necessities of life have changed and the increase in working hours reflect that. Cell phones, computers, air conditioning and the like are no longer luxuries but instead are essentials. We Americans love our gas-guzzling vehicles even though we complain mightily about the price of gas. We like the benefits of the things we think we must have.

The price to pay for all this is a vague sense of unease and the need to get away on a regular basis. A change in routine can go a long way towards alleviating the build up of grouchiness that occurs from doing the same thing over and over and over.

However, since all my girlfriends are busy, I'll have to settle for buying toys and books for the grandchild and birthday presents for my daughter. It will give me an excuse to sniff the candles and make all the toys make noise. Maybe I'll even find a bridge to sit under for a little while.[[In-content Ad]]