An Idle Man

In the last few months, I have fallen victim to that most terrible of vices - laziness.  I have nine unfinished articles that I need my attention, but I have been unwilling or unable to put forth the energy to get them done.  It is a phenomenon that I have come to call "plonking."  I plonk the unfinished article into a folder and then I promptly forgot about it.  Perhaps, I am simply burned out from years of hard work and my sudden laziness is my body's way to take a much-needed rest.

In my childhood, my mother made a point to instill a strong work ethic into me.  My mother lectured me at every opportunity about the importance of hard work.  It was never a delicate lecture.  It usually centered on the idea that a person has a responsibility to "get off their ass," or "break their ass," or "work their ass off."  A person's ass was, in one way or another, an important element to this valuable set of work principles.  Ass + Effort = Work Ethic.  It is the reason that I have never in my life been afraid of hard work.  But getting older means slowing down.

My decline began when I developed back problems two years ago.  This past summer, my back was hurting me more than usual.  The pain limited my physical activities.  I sometimes let my home become more than a little dusty because cleaning requires constant bending and kneeling, which triggers the worst possible pain.  The most important goal in my life has become to avoid the pain. 

Nonetheless, I have committed myself now to getting my ass in gear.  So, expect to see more articles soon.