April 29, 2002
Take A Month Off
Acting coach Milton Katselas once wrote that if you ask anyone on the street what they do (for a living, that is), and what they’d rather be doing, chances are you’ll find that the majority have an unfulfilled dream they still aspire to. I’m fairly convinced that part of the problem is the deary, interminable time-suck imposed upon the average American worker bee. Who has time to work on anything remotely satisfying when the paltry two weeks of annual vacation we get are consumed by household chores and frazzled, underplanned trips to see family who’ve all but forgotten you exist? That’s why this SF Gate article resonates so deeply with me: You Deserve A Month Off.
Let me divulge you a little secret of mine: although I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have held on tooth-and-claw to gainful employment during the darkest days of the economic slump, I have to admit to a certain amount of envy when I consider how my “unemployed” acquaintences are faring.
Inarguably, this is because these people are bright, likable and talented. There will always be work for such folks. Not that I would eagerly stick my head up the next time the layoff axe comes a-swingin’. Being out of work is no picnic, to be sure. But to my knowledge, no one has had to sell their belongings to avoid eviction, people are working on interesting and fulfilling projects, and in general, people are still happy. And that’s good.








