There are certain periods of the year when it feels as if there is a bit more space in our lives and in our brains. You can have a bit of a think: consider where you are in life and what, if any, changes you might want to make, minor or drastic. You may conclude that things are pretty much where you want them to be, and because you have this extra head space, you have the time to appreciate it. It\u2019s like a seasonal form of mindfulness, but without having to do a course or buy a self-help book.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not this season. Thinking is more a summer pastime. Now it\u2019s just one continuous, mindless \u201cGo\u201d.<\/p>\n
Some people contend that autumn is more like the new year. A new start. Back to work and school and college. But it can also be a shocking reminder of how much activity you were stuffing into each minute before the holidays started. <\/p>\n
For instance: Daughter Number Four has a few extracurriculars. She has swimming, which is supposed to be on a Friday, but because her usual swimming pool is broken, we have to schlep out to the National Aquatic Centre on Saturdays and Sundays. After the Saturday session, she has to get dried, changed and eat lunch in the car to arrive just in time for the two-hour Jazz Hands classes. (We\u2019re not forcing her to do any of this. She loves it.)<\/p>\n
You\u2019re right: I\u2019ve little to be complaining about. It\u2019s relatively easy to get back into the old\/new routine. But because it is this time of the year, there\u2019s also an inordinate amount of planning. Halloween<\/a> is just over a fortnight away, and for some weeks now there\u2019s been negotiations over, and preparations for, what we are doing for Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n Similar talks about talks are going on in relation to next year\u2019s summer holidays, and after that there will be a big family wedding. This is on top of all the usual work and life stuff, so this time of the year can feel like a blur: what\u2019s next, what\u2019s next. (And yes: most of the mental burden for these kinds of things tends to fall on women.)<\/p>\n It\u2019s still the case that people will ask, as a conversation opener: \u201cAre you busy?\u201d The expectation is that the other person will confirm this is the case, and then list all the things they are up to as if busyness is an intrinsically good thing. The same applies to: \u201cAny plans for the weekend?\u201d You have to be organising a parachute jump or applying the finishing touches to the opera you\u2019re composing. To answer truthfully, to admit that you\u2019ll do the big shop, ferry the kids around to all their activities, tackle a mountain of laundry and then watch some crap on Netflix seems to be regarded as an unacceptable reply; even a form of rudeness.<\/p>\n