Life has a funny way sometimes of making sure you're on your toes, keeping you guessing I suppose some might say. The last time I wrote I had just lost my job at General Dynamics, along with about 50 to 100 other good people. In my case I had two weeks notice from management, so on October 8th I reported to Human Resources and turned in my badge, Blackberry, and computer. I hadn't been in the building since receiving my pink slip (mine was white, actually) and I think I observed in my last post that I wasn't really missing the place; the people yes, but the work, no.
That afternoon was a beautiful Fall day in Vermont - clear, fresh, cool. I hopped on my Parlee TT and headed south for a ride. I wasn't going anywhere particular, nor was I trying to go fast. I let my intuition select the route for me, piecing together a ride that went down Spear Street with it's views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks on the northern stretch, and of the Green Mountains (who's flanks were the quintessential autumn colors) on the southern stretch. I rode into Charlotte, turned east towards Hinesburg, and came back via Shelburne on Dorset Street.
On the outbound portion I stopped for a minute or two to adjust my seat. On the return leg I took a break on the side of the road to pee. Between the breaks and the improvised turns along the way, I made about 6 or 7 decisions that brought me to the intersection of Swift and Spear right around 5 pm that day, at exactly the same time as a blue Toyota Corolla, already dented on the passenger side very near where I hit when he plowed into me.
At the time I was struck I was moving about 25 miles per hour, so I hit hard. My left side took most of the impact and I felt as if I was moving in slow motion....until the driver jammed on his brakes and I went flying through the air. I came to rest on my back, staring up at that clear, blue autumn sky. I stayed on the ground long enough for a few rush-hour commuters who had seen the accident to park, hurry over, and dial 911.
I ascertained that I was hurt but not mortally wounded. I got up and inspected the contusions on my left arm, hand and legs; other than a finger that wouldn't work I was thankfully in one piece. My bike was not, as the seat post was snapped off. I ranked two squad cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck. It was quite a scene and I'll be honest, I was in shock. My girlfriend retrieved me, the Parlee, and the Parlee's seat; I must say, never has a warm shower felt so good, a woman's arms so comforting, or a bed so welcome.
I do like to tell stories, and I can be a little long winded getting to the point, which is the case with this post. Both the loss of my job and the bike accident placed me in a situation where I had a lot more time on my hands; time to rest, to recover, to think about our modern lives, schedules, stress, diet, exercise, and social interaction. I haven't been lying on the couch watching soap operas, or even lounging about reading, which happens to be one of my favorite past-times. No, I've been looking for work, writing, and, until the accident, continuing my triathlon training.
I think I have a good work ethic; I am disciplined in how I go about things and I tend to put all of myself into those pursuits in life that resonate with me. Nevertheless, I find that I am enjoying a slightly more leisurely schedule than the one I was used to keeping (for years!).....more downtime, less chronic stress. To be sure, not having an income is a pretty big deal to me and I have been forced to make some tough decisions about how and where I live; my COBRA health insurance alone is going to cost me $533 per month.
But the interesting thing is that I feel better, happier, more rational and grounded than I did when I was working an 8 to 5 job for a Fortune 100 company. That job came with lots of expectations about performance, schedule, behavior, interaction, and morale to name just a few. Most of these expectations are unrealistic, or at least often in conflict with the needs, health, and well-being of individuals. There is definitely a part of me that does not want to find a new job, not if it is for an organization even remotely similar in culture and values to the one I just left.
I have been using some of my new found time to research and write about our Paleolithic ancestors in terms of their lifestyle as compared to ours. Many of you know that I eat a Paleo diet and that I perceive a great deal of benefit in consuming nutrition for which I believe my body is genetically optimized. My research takes this a step further to look at other aspects of lifestyle beyond nutrition to see if there are adjustments that I can make to allow me to be healthier and happier.
One interesting finding is that our ancestors only worked an average of 10 to 15 hours per week. Think about that in the context of the average 8 to 5 job, where expectations of employers today are that workers will put in at least 40 hours a week, but generally more. When our paleolithic forbearers worked, it was hard, physical, and often dangerous. But they offset this with natural downtime during which they rested, socialized, and played. They spent significantly more time than their modern brethren interacting with their clan and neighboring groups. And they slept longer and better than we do as their norm.
Two days a week I set an alarm clock and rise early to swim with a Master's Swim group that I like; it is social in that I am with people, not swimming on my own, and this group has many great swimmers, so I have to work really hard just to chase their bubbles. The other days I have been rising with the sun, as our ancestors did, and it feels so much better to begin the day that way. I don't rush out the door; I have a bite and start the computer; I work a while and then I exercise or take a walk; often I indulge in a short mid-day nap. I haven't mastered the early to bed behavior yet, but I'm working on it.
My point is that despite being unemployed, my stress level is down and I am better and happier for it; I feel as though I am more the person I am meant to be. This has led to me considering other ways of living and making money, because I am not getting any younger and I don't think the model that corporate America has adopted is one that I want to vest myself in for the balance of my career. Like the nutritional aspect of our genetic makeup, I believe that we also evolved genetically for a certain ways of living; the modern world with its pressures, stress, and demands on our attention is in direct conflict with the kind of environment the human body and mind evolved in over hundreds of thousands of years.
I don't have all the answers yet; I am simply doing a lot of pondering. But I can tell you that I will be writing more about lifestyle in the future, about work, sleep, stress, movement, and connecting deeply to other people. I expect I'll have to get a real job again, to make ends meet, but it won't be like my last one. And, I hope as I begin this new chapter in my life that I will be able to live, love, work and train more simply and reasonably than I have up to this point.
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