Dear Jessica Brennan,
Busy is such an overused word. I guess it is a busy word.
Them: How are you?
Me: Busy.
Them: Yah, me too. So busy.
But, what does it mean when we say it? Because for many of us, this has become the automatic answer when anyone inquires.
Are we all really so busy? If so, what are we busy doing?
If you go out on a Saturday you see a lot of busy people. Busy people shopping mostly, often for things they don’t need.
I see many people walking in my neighbourhood who seem busy. Poking at their phones and looking tired. They must be swamped.
People in cars are busy. Honking their horns, in a rush to get where they are going. Where are they going? Can they all be late?
We say bees are busy, and I should think so. They have to pollinate and make honey. What are we pollinating? What are we making?
I’ve noticed that busy makes busy. If I have a busy week, it is really busy. I rarely have a sort of busy week. Once the busy descends, it comes with a vengeance. Why is that?
Every once in awhile I stop and look at what is making life so busy and I question why I’m doing some things. Often what I’m busy doing, I don’t need, or sometimes even want to do.
Busy is a word that has come to mean, important. Important people are busy, and not relaxed. They are not available. They are red-faced, high functioning, high cortisol, high blood-pressure people. The theory is that they are active and accomplishing things – they must be because they are busy. Just buried with things to do. Yet I know a lot of busy people who don’t ever really seem to do much, except run around being busy.
So from now on when these busy-bodies ask me how I am, I think I’m going to have a different answer.
Them: How are you?
Me: Idle.
Them: (Disapproving silence)
Love,
Mum xo