random truths – Day 1,087 (Thursday) – recess

The remote work day was as brutally busy as every day since March 1^st, the first day of my manager’s vacation. Despite our carefully orchestrated handoff of information and tasks, random projects not on my list to cover kept landing in my lap. I was suddenly facing a learning curve for multiple projects for which I was completely unfamiliar which were suddenly competing for time, attention, and deadlines with the projects I actually knew about. The stress level has been high and increasing.

As I was finishing my lunch of leftover macaroni and cheese with chicken pilfered from Winston’s chopped chicken reserves, a Prime truck arrived outside. I rolled back the tape and tried to recall if any of my many recent orders were still outstanding.

Adult recess.

The delivery man was not there for me. He dropped something on the porch of the neighbor on one side, then he backed the truck to the end of the street to deliver a package to the neighbor on the other side. Instead of the sound of the truck driving away, the next sounds were of a basketball hitting the pavement. 

Prime delivery guy had grabbed the basketball that was on the ground near the hoop. For a few minutes, he dribbled and shot and chased the ball as it rolled. He seemed to enjoy himself in his adult recess.

It was way better than my recess breaks which, on remote days, usually involve letting the dog outside and inside, and on office-office days consists of walking to the water machine for either chilled water or instant hot water for tea.

Prime delivery guy has the right idea. Adult recess looked like fun, and throwing things might help with the fresh stress.