Thursday I was sitting in a comfortable wing backed chair in Hatcher trying to read an article for 504 about behavior in evolutionary theory.  Also trying to stay awake while reading said paper, probably should not have been sitting in a comfortable upholstered chair.  I was distracted from the paper by the multitude of other tasks still to be done, and by the bright yellow leaves and dark branches being tossed around in the wind and snow outside the library window.

Taking a break I glance at the file drawers next to me.  They are labeled:  “US Census 1830-1880.”  It hits me again, how very privileged I am to be sitting here at this university among all this stuff.  These documents are one hundred and seventy-five years old!  Maybe it’s just microfilm in those drawers, very likely the actual census documents aren’t there.  But still….

I thought I was stressed by the difficult reading and the fact it was snowing and I’d soon have to walk across campus for a lecture I didn’t want to hear.  But I could be sitting in my office with thirty-five employees all wanting attention and the phone ringing off the hook with problems and complaints and a boss asking where the latest assignment is.  Instead I’m sitting in a comfortable wing backed chair with my feet up, next to older then dirt documents, stretching my mind, and watching the sun and snow on the leaves as they blow in the wind.

 Soon enough I’ll be back in the world of work.  But for now…what’s to stress over?