What would you do with YOUR free time?

What would you do with all the free time in the world? I'm sure many of you would LOVE to have just one day off to rest, lounge around, watch TV, maybe read a book, or clean house. And gosh, what you wouldn't give for a whole week off! You could travel. Visit friends and family, shop a little, or maybe do some camping. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Well, let me tell you...I've been out of school since June 19th and have recently become employed by a company called MenuCare, but I don't start work for another couple weeks. If you do the math, that's nearly 4 months of "vacation". In those 4 months I've been to the beach twice, I've moved to Cleveland, OH, rode roller coasters at Cedar Point, gone camping, caught up with family at family reunions, visited old friends, made a few new ones, tailgated at a Browns game, ate cow's ear at Lola's (or was it pig's...either way it was gross) and cheered on the Tribe at an Indians baseball game. When I read over that last sentence, my life sounds kind of interesting; however, on a daily basis things have become somewhat monotonous.

I get up around 7ish--a curse I can bet I got from the Erenrich's--I make some coffee, have a little devotional, do some dishes, maybe scrub the bathroom, go for a run, get some groceries from Dave's Market, stop in to Target to see what's new, then plop down on the couch with some lunch and "Twilight"(my 6th book since June 19th) and awkwardly fall in love with Edward Cullen, the vampire, with every page I read. (please tell me I'm not the only one!) Oh yea, and about this time I just so happen to look over at the clock on the digital cable box...11:45...AM!!!! You have got to be kidding me?!

I sit there and start to plan out my retirement--and by that I mean, I plan to never retire and to never be this bored again--when it hits me...it's not the free time that is so awful. It's the monotony. You all out there working 9-5 desk jobs are bored, too. That's what makes the holidays so great, isn't it? The opportunity to change things up a bit. Have a little time off. Make some conversation with some fresh faces. Admit it, the brown noser in the cubical next to you makes your cousin, the rambler, very interesting.

Anyways, the point I'm trying to make in a very round-about way is that life will always be monotonous, whether you are laying on the couch every day or working your butt off every day. And contrary to what people believe, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Once you get there, the grass dies just the same. So make the most of the life you've been dealt. Each season of your life is there for a purpose. When you are working, work at it with all your heart; and when you are at home playing with your kids in the backyard, play as if you never have to work another day in your life. In doing so, you may just provide a little rain and sunshine for that grass of yours. It certainly may have the potential to die, but I never said you couldn't help it grow!