Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Traveling – living in and out of motels – is different from living in a home. This differences points to lessons that can improve home life.

I recently spent five weeks on the road. Motel after motel, night after night. In the past, I have had jobs where I traveled two and sometimes three weeks a month. Motel after motel, week after week. During these periods of travel, I noticed something about myself:

I acted differently while on the road

I,

1. lived slower
2. wasn’t rushing in and out of stores
3. held doors open for more people
4. took the time to smile more
5. treasured my family more

As a logical person (engineer), I could find good reasons for these things. Basically, while on the road I don’t have to do or assist with many time-consuming household tasks like cooking, cleaning, shopping, cutting the grass, and so on. Of course I could take more time to enjoy life and people.

Those logical reasons are also conscious-soothing excuses.

Recently, I saw a blog post about making a home office look like a motel room. Hmm. This person changed his home to reflect some of the benefits of traveling. Perhaps I could do the same. Perhaps I could reduce my attention to, i.e. not worry so much about, the day-to-day maintenance activities of home life and enjoy life and people more.