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Monday, August 1, 2011

Question of the Week: Outside or Online?


I love Summertime.  My garden calls to me every day, inviting me to head out and enjoy the birds singing, the sunshine beaming down and the afternoon breezes flitting through my backyard. I love sitting in my garden chair to watch my dogs frolic in the grass while I enjoy being outside in the warmer weather.

Summer also presents me with a daily scavenger hunt to find the fruits and vegetables that are ready for harvest in my container garden.  Believe me, this can be challenging!  Somehow, the cucumbers and zucchinis magically appear overnight and if I am not careful, I suddenly have huge, overgrown ones on my hands. Then there are the tomatoes: one day they blend with the green foliage and the next they suddenly stand out all red and yellow to grab my attention.

I have to be diligent with the blackberries, strawberries and figs, because if I am not quick to harvest them the birds swoop and squirrels scurry to grab themselves a feast.

Yes, I love being drawn outside.  By the time the sun slips behind the horizon, I often find that I have expended a lot of my precious energy puttering around my garden.  By the time night falls, all I want to do is head inside, make a meal with my harvested treasures and relax on the couch until bedtime.

The only downside to my Summer routine?  I spend more time away from my computer and my friends with chronic illness at social media places like Facebook and Twitter.  While I feel I need to enjoy the good weather and the smidgen of less pain and fatigue it allows, I feel a bit bad about being MIA from my chronic illness communities.

It's a real trade-off: the more energy and time I spend on Summer-themed pursuits, the less time and energy I have for my usual activities.  Or to put it another way, I have to let go of some old things to add new things to my routine. No more multi-tasking and acting like I am Superwoman--chronic illnesses have definitely taken away all my superpowers.

Can you relate?  This time of year, are you more outside or out-and-about and less online like me?  Leave a comment here or head over to the OMAP! Facebook page to join the discussion there.

PS  I hope you're enjoying a nice, sunny, Summer day (or warm Summery thoughts) where ever you are today too...



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3 comments

Migrainista said...

I wish I could relate. Back in the day I used to love the sun and warmth of summer but these days it just causes me more pain. I spend most of my time avoiding it. Especially in times like right now when we are in our 3rd straight week of excessive heat and poor air quality warnings. It's just too darn hot and humid.

Chronic Pain Patients said...

After 21+ years as a college professor, I had to stop doing what I love due to FMS and CRPS-1. I've been beating myself up for not making it the seven more years I need to get a decent retirement, feeling like I've let down myself and my family. Your article made me realize how cruel I am being toward myself. I've always taken care of everyone else, yet denied myself the same compassion. My family keeps reminding me that they would rather see me live longer than see me struggle to keep up with the stress and demands of work. We need to embrace ourselves with gentle compassion and acceptance.

Felicia Fibro said...

I do find that I'm offline for almost entire days in the summer versus just a few hours here and there while I do things in the winter. We all need to get out and do stuff though, so I try not to feel guilt from it.