Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Playing Hooky

Yesterday afternoon Joe and I played hooky. It wasn't really hooky as I'd finished the tasks assigned to me for the day, booked off, then caught up on work stuff when I got back. But sometimes one needs to feel irresponsible even if done in a responsible manner. Make sense? In our sixties 'roll playing' has a TOTALLY DIFFERENT feel - playing nurse and doctor now that we have both a nurse and a doctor on speed dial is, well, unfun. So, we make do with a kind of fake hooky.


We went to a Monday afternoon movie, popped into a pub afterwards, all the while checking our watches so that we'd be sure to home in time for Jeopardy. Yep. Fun. Wow.


But wait.


It WAS fun.


We had a great time.


Just pulling out of our regular routine, just making space where we don't normally make space, doing ordinary things at unordinary times ... was such a lovely little holiday.


We, Joe and I, like being responsible adults. We like following through on our duties and obligations. We'd had a real blow when we had to cancel our trip to the UK, having to undertake treatment instead of travelling was ... simply, awful. It sapped our strength and our morale was at an all time low. The progress we see, in the treatment, is there but slower than hoped for. We'd started plodding through our days. We shopped at Metro thinking 'We should be in Tescos.' I was overwhelmingly saddened when I used the last of my Marks and Spencer cologne. It's been rough.


Then, we played hooky.


We laughed.


We chatted.


We felt at ease with ourselves.


We felt at ease within ourselves.


And our spirits lifted. Really lifted. It's OK this life of ours. Setbacks will be setbacks but accomplishments will be accomplishments too. Maybe one of the biggest accomplishments is that two old men, can catch an afternoon movie and still feel naughty for doing so.


Whatever it was - it was a good day.


And we both feel the better for it.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gotta get me one of those hooky days - you made it sound like such fun, even if you did it the adult way.

I think being disabled adds extra burdens to life so much that we have trouble being free and easy - because we're always 'behind.'

As if someone were keeping score.

I haven't been to a movie theater in so long I can't remember when it was! I know, Netflix and the living room chair is so much easier, but it doesn't smell like a movie theater.

Thanks for the wakeup call - and glad you guys had fun.

Alicia

emma vanderklift said...

Just a great big smile from me, you two. Enjoying your day vicariously. And love you both!

Penelope said...

I'm glad you had fun! I've always thought it was important to take the days "playing hooky" or taking time off to refresh oneself mentally and physically. Planned vacation days don't have the same sort of positive effect in my mind. While I know I needed them more when working, I think they're important for those of us who don't as well.

I'm also glad to know I'm not the only person who schedules activities around watching Jeopardy ;)