Chill

I have always had an affinity for chilling and not being busy to just be busy. It’s always been sort of a fight between what is expected socially and what I truly want and need. When I was younger I would run myself ragged and then crash and burn. It was a sick cycle. When I was a teen, some of my favorite memories are Sunday afternoons at home. My mom would usually have a nice Sunday meal going and we would lazy around with some show or movie on. With the latest Star Wars show dropping last week, I was thinking about when I first watched Star Wars, or at least a time I remember and sticks out in my mind. It was just one of these weekend afternoons with my mom an siblings. She loved having old movies going while chilling and maybe working on a roast or changing out laundry. We would watch sci-fi movies, old comedies, fantasy… whatever could be watched on regular channels when we didn’t have cable. At the time, I don’t think I cared too much for not being busy and not doing things. Now that I am grown I see the value and I am so grateful for the time and the memories. It was in these times that I was introduced to some of my favorite worlds… Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. I feel like our society has so much pressure to be busy and to be doing things all the time. There is a negative stigma about those who aren’t always on the grind in some way. As I sit here and type this out, there are things undone in my house, laundry from days ago that needs to be folded, dishes to do, etc. My daughter and I had a nice chill morning and a great breakfast. We sat at the table and ate together. No TV or device going. Enjoying each other’s company. I do admit, its not always this way. But we do make it a point to have this time regularly. Growing up I saw my mom make time for chilling, over the years I have started to understand why its so important. To me it is a quiet act of rebellion against the the culture of consumption and exploitation.