Lunch today with my friend Lynn. I feel like I have known Lynn for years, although we have probably only been talking at depth for twelve months or so. She is one of the best things to have emerged from my current employment, as we only met each other through work.
It is usual for us to swap stories about inadequate line management, which always gives me an acute sense of relief (thank God I am Not Alone...) But today we end up talking about ways of connecting more deeply with our creativity, and how outside interests like singing, acting and writing can help shift perception and make the rest of life easier to cope with. It is such an interesting conversation that our lunch date lasts almost 2 hours.
I'm wearing jeans today. Smart ones, but still jeans. It would be unthinkable for me to go to the Town Hall wearing jeans, but now I have stopped going over there my ironing pile has reduced gratifyingly as my clothing choices have become narrower. I'm also wearing glasses because I couldn't be bothered to put my contact lenses in this morning, and my hairstyle is leaving quite a lot to be desired...
My overall appearance is still eminently respectable, but I am now realising that the meticulous morning preparations undertaken for my Town Hall days have rather less to do with the slim chance I might bump into a Councillor (ie someone who might complain to the Chief Executive about appearances ill-befitting Council officers), and rather more to do with waving two merry fingers at The Others. In fact sometimes I make a point of reserving a new outfit's First Outing for team meetings !!
But now - oh deary me. I could spend an extra ten minutes each morning straightening my hair, but given that no-one is going to see it except nice people who aren't going to judge me, I prefer to spend those precious seconds writing or reading...
Lynn is a working mum, yet someone who looks effortlessly groomed and glamorous. I conclude that I need to adopt more grooming short cuts! Because rather like Shirley Conran (who told us all two decades ago that life was too short to stuff a mushroom); I am starting to think that fannying about with my hair and obsessionally rotating my frock collection are presenting major obstacles to my creative leanings because they are taking up valuable TIME.
Paring down my working hours even further is one option, but frankly I have already truncated them as far as I am able, and if I continue down that particular road I imagine I will get a summons from my Director. And Husband is not going to take kindly to slipping down my list of priorities.
I need to make more space in my life.
Sorry, Hair.
You have drawn the short straw..
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