A lot more would get accomplished around our house if there were several 10 p.m.-2 a.m. time slots in the day. This time is when, fueled by the knowledge that something absolutely cannot be put off any longer, we suddenly discover, deep within ourselves, that we will be in serious trouble if we don't get moving on something. This revelation gives us the motivation to accomplish in just a few hours what we have not been able to accomplish in the past several months. Taxes are due—in 20 minutes! The discount on plane tickets expires in—11.3 minutes! Guests will be here in 10 hours, expecting to be fed—because we told them they would be!
At 6 p.m. on a weeknight, or 1 p.m. on a Saturday, a week away from these looming deadlines—even a couple of days before—we are not thinking about such tasks any more than we are thinking about packing to go to the moon. Probably less, because a trip to the moon would be pretty cool.
No, these times lack that sense of urgency that is so critical to a healthy feeling of panic and impending doom.
And if we started too far ahead of time, then what? Submit our tax return months ahead of the deadline? It would only encourage the IRS to expecting our money early every year. Live in a super-clean and clutter-free house for a whole week before our guests arrive? Pffff. It'd be a short, slippery slope from there to monastery living, wouldn't it.
And so it was that the Late Late Hours on Easter Eve inspired us to a) set a table that even Martha* would be proud of and b) create a set of thought-provoking questions** to inspire deep conversation among our guests. We shudder to think what might have awaited our guests the next afternoon had we not had that 10-2 panic-stricken block of time.
And just think what we might accomplish if we could do away with afternoon hours as we know them—what else are they good for other than trying not to fall asleep?—and replacing them with the oh-so-motivating-and-productive 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. block.
If any candidate wants to run on that platform, he or she will have my vote.
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*My Aunt Martha, that is
**Or perhaps just “provoking questions”
2 comments:
It all becomes clear...we get along so well because we conduct our lives in exactly the same manner. Had we only known, it would have saved A LOT of 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. cleaning on both of our parts.
Just one more thing to like about you! Of course, we could also have saved a lot of late-night cleaning if we had paid someone to come and clean (at a decent hour), but then again, maybe not...we would have had to clean before the cleaner came!
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