A Cool Change

When you have work piling up and deadlines looming, taking a break and soaking up the sun almost feels like cheating. But when the heat is on and the sea starts waving on holidays, who could resist a cool change?

Last week, my sister and I took a spur-of-the-moment coastal detour to our parents’ beach house up north. Blame it on the long months of being yuppified in the city, but even as we left our offices and high heels behind, we went there still armed with our work gadgets. We figured combining work with R&R would lessen the guilt and put us right on track when the work train catches up with us.

So there we were, a couple of city gals lounging by the beach, looking ridiculously out of place with our files, laptops and mobile phones. I thought being far from the city would save me from its many demands and distractions so I could finally work on the overdue concept paper for my new project. My sister spread out on the hammock with her files, and thought just the same. But as we prepared to work there on the supposedly quiet rural edge of Medellin, we found ourselves distracted still.

First, there was the arresting sight of sea birds gliding like a banca. So intrigued was I to see them walking on water, taking off, then swooping down for fish that I spent most of the morning daydreaming of Nemo, the Little Mermaid and other creatures of the sea.

Then there was my mother’s cooking. After years of takeout, pancit canton and canned food – otherwise known as the singles’ menu -- the nostalgic aroma of real food pulled us to the kitchen time and time again.

Deliciously bloated, I tried going back to my empty computer screen for the nth time, only to find the reflection of my sister falling fast asleep on the hammock. For awhile I pondered on project targets and action plans but then, soothed by the cooling breeze and the rhythmic splashing of the sea, I also fell asleep not long after.

By late afternoon, I woke up to the warning beep of my dying laptop. Feeling guilty for not being more productive, I tried to resume work once more. But I simply couldn’t concentrate. The local children were already out seashell hunting at low tide. Even my 5-year-old nephew has turned off Disney Channel for a change to join them. As I watched fishermen returning home to their wives and children laughing while loading up their catch, it dawned on me – I’ve been stuck on dry land for so long that I’ve forgotten what’s it like to enjoy the sea. It wasn’t true that I was distracted from my work, but rather it was my work distracting me from what I came to the beach for – a cool change.

Like most city people, I realized I’ve been so focused on the daily grind, I no longer knew how to slow down—even on a break. We get used to the rush so much that we forget about time and stops. Then one day, we just wake up to find ourselves exhausted, burned out without ever really knowing why.

So for the love of my job, I gave up. Just stopped. I zipped up my work and let it go for the moment. Just as computers need to be shut down, we also need to let our jobs rest so we can reboot, refresh and recharge.

Later that day, feeling light for the first time in a long while, I joined my family, breathed in the sea air and simply gazed at the amazing sun kissing the sea good night.

-- SunStar Weekend, April 18, 2009