I Am So Busy (Rant)

Nice thing about a blog and radio shows, you get to vent once in a while and it's time, my friends - it's my official I Am So Busy rant. O-M-G. $#%@!

Let's be honest, most everyone we know is super busy.

Full-time jobs. Running a household. Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, yard work. Coaching your kids' sports teams. Paying bills. Running countless, endless errands. Picking up and droping off kids all over town, all the time. Buying gifts. Preparing for parties and gatherings. Washing our cars. Planning vacations and cramming a bunch of stuff into the weeks before so we can relax when we're away. Helping with homework. Taking care of aging parents. Attending bible study. Volunteering. Walking, running, hiking and all forms of exercising. Theatre, movies and concerts take up some of our weekends. We bring work home after 10 hour days. We deal with family drama. Have I missed anything? Of course I have. We are all busy with lots of other stuff, too. Emotional turmoil, depression, addiction and the kind of stuff that renders us paralyzed - that keeps us busy in a different way.

My point? When you respond with "I'm so busy" because you haven't responded to an email, a text, a phone call or an invitation of some sort, think about what you are really saying. You are too busy with stuff that is more important to you.

Often times, there is nothing wrong with that. If you have a loved one in the hospital on top of your kids homework, your own work and managing your household, returning an email about a neighborhood potluck could easily get lost in the shuffle, and justifiably so. You get a pass. The rest of the time, just tell the truth. I have other priorities (such as trolling Facebook or watching my reality shows) that are preventing me from (fill in the blank) and I apologize but I might not get to it at all. Or, you are truly, legitimately overwhelmed in your life at the moment. Fine. Got it.

But, let's be clear about this. We are busy with that which we want or need to be. I'm so busy means you are busy with the stuff that's most important to you or has to be (whether you want it to be or not) to address (fill in the blank). We can all understand that and if we wear our big girl and boy pants, we won't be offended.

The I'm so busy that also drives me crazy is someone simply saying it as if you aren't. In other words, "Maria, nice to see you. How are you?" Maria answers "Oh, I'm so busy." You respond, "Not me, I have absolutely nothing on my plate. Nada. My days are filled with nothing." Puh-lease, as if I'm not. Being busy is a given for Pete's Sake. And, what about those of us who are trying to be less busy and more present? We start feeling bad, less than, abnormal or left out. WTH? (What the heck)

Maybe I'm over-reacting. Maybe I'm from a different generation with different norms. Maybe I caught myself in a bad mood and just needed to vent. Do me a favor and just think about your response when someone asks how you are, and in turn, if you get the I'm so busy, feel free to quote me. You're welcome.

Okay, I feel better now. Do you disagree? Let me know. Or, are you just too busy to respond?! (You know I had to.)