THE AMAZING DISAPPEARING PEGGY!


being busy is good. being over-booked every minute of your day however-- is not.

as i ran from the chapel yesterday... 5 minutes early... racing toward the train so i could get to the theater to open the box office, i realized just how crazy-booked my life is. it has gotten to the point where i am behind on calling so many people back i have to prioritize my "hey how are you?" phone calls against the "this is important" ones- because i just don't have time to do it all. and being a train commuter makes that even worse.

back in the day, when i was a car commuter, i had at least 20 minutes to get it all done while sitting in traffic. i could eat, wrap a present, file my nails and talk on the phone all on my way to the post office just before heading to the laundry mat. multi-tasking at its finest!

nowadays, it's rude to be on the phone on the bus and most of the time on the train is spent underground with no signal. and it's only a 5 minute walk to work from the train... then once at work... i become pretty much unavailable until lunch. by then, i have missed 5 phone calls and the thought is... who to call first? brothers and sisters who i haven't talked to in so long? mom and dad who want to know the latest scoop in my life? friends that are having a tough time? long lost friends who i miss more than anything right now? others who are trying to get to know me better? so i finally make a choice, spend the whole of my lunch with them and then sigh as i head back to my desk as the reality of my calling deficit increases.

but peggy, what about your evenings?

well when you work two jobs- you don't have evenings. and on the days you aren't working, there's institute- and institute choir because you still need some measure of spirituality and socialness in your life. there's also an important commitment on tuesday nights, a dinner date with a good friend you haven't seen in a while and you need to get caught up with, temple night. and say goodbye to your weekends, because your soul has been sold to the theater and you now are there every waking moment. oh and don't forget how you are also trying to make good on that whole trying to be an actress thing. so there are auditions and auditions to prepare for, and then you and your good friend are crazy enough to try and put on another christmas show and so the next few weeks are going to be all that more interesting!

and to further complain- what about ME time? what is that? i hear others talk about how they sit at home and watch tv!!!! TV??? it's been so long! to be in my room by myself is sometimes life's greatest pleasure. it's quiet. and these short-lived moments of lounging in my bed while i type this crap, so you can all read every last detail in my head, are some of the most treasured.

but then the guilt sets in. i'm wasting time! i could be doing all 100 things i haven't done yet!

like last night for instance. i had a friend over for dinner. this friend was being good by going to a baptism and a fireside on temples. when asked if i was attending, i scrunched my nose and said no. i hadn't been at home with nothing to do in weeks! but then an hour went by and another good friend was called and came over and then we ran over to other friends' house and i didn't get home til midnight! WHAT IS THAT? do i not know about being "still" anymore? can't i just sit and be quiet? MUST I ALWAYS BE ON THE GO????

okay true- my fault- i take all the credit. but that's just my point. i don't slow down. and so as i am racing out of the chapel doors on to my next great adventure, i can hear my friends in a low murmur... there goes the AMAZING DISAPPEARING PEGGY again!