Long days no more
Never regret a day in your life. Good days give happiness, bad days give experiences, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories. —Professor Richard Feynman
Feynman was a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist and celebrity who was known for his work in the formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of superfluidity, and more.
Smart guy.
I also agree with his philosophy on life. Especially now.
Last week, as I was getting ready for bed, I told my cat, “It was a long, long day, Pluto,” and it was.
It started at 4:30 AM with some work for a client. Then I worked on revising my next novel and writing a blog post before pivoting to a meeting with a UK client on a branding campaign.
Then I fed the cats, prepared breakfast for the kids, and politely urged them to get moving before heading off to school to spend the day teaching fifth graders.
The school day included two phone calls to parents, a meeting about a student, a parent visit, and recess duty. Also, lessons on math, reading, writing, science, and the importance of avoiding assumptions.
Lots of laughs, too. Even a plot to prank a student in another classroom.
When the school day ended, I went home, where I met with another client via Zoom before feeding Charlie dinner and dropping him off at his school.
He would be operating the spotlight in a performance of “Newsies” later that night.
Then Elysha, Clara, and I enjoyed an incomplete dinner (thanks to an inefficient and forgettable server) before heading to the school to watch the play. I chatted with friends in the audience, teased my daughter, ate a chocolate bar, and thanked the director for all of her efforts with the show.
It was a great performance. Truly entertaining.
When we finally arrived home after 10:00 PM, I quickly helped a client finalize a marketing deck before jumping on the bike for a half-hour ride. Then, around 11:00 PM, I took a shower and climbed into bed.
“It was a long, long day, Pluto,” I said to my cat, expressing the idea at first as a negative. But as my head hit the pillow, it occurred to me:
“Days can be long, or days can be short.”
A short day probably means a day absent of activity. Absent of interconnectedness or productivity or challenge. Absent of problem-solving or dream-chasing.
A short day is probably a day bereft of variety and possibility.
Or maybe a short day is your last day… the one you didn’t survive.
Yes, it had been a long day, but it had been spent in the company of my family, colleagues, friends, clients, and students.
It was a day spent doing interesting, important, and meaningful things.
I taught students important lessons. Helped clients and friends improve their businesses and professional lives. Helped companies make more money.
I continued to make my dream of writing and publishing books alive by revising my first-ever middle-grade novel. I ate a meal with my family. Attended a play where I watched young people sing and dance and witnessed my son perform his role brilliantly.
I exercised. Laughed. Worked like hell.
It was a long, long day, but why would I think of that as anything less than positive?
So I looked back at Pluto, now lying beside my head, and said, “Long days are good days.”
He did not respond, probably because he’s a cat.
But I’m going to try to remember this now and forever.
No more complaining about long days. They are a hell of a lot better than short ones.
