Notes from Abroad

I've been so busy lately that I've resorted to Keeping a Calendar. Me, the person who lives most of the time in "tribal time" and only reluctantly wears watches or observes clocks--mostly because people around me, whom I care about or have to interact with, seem to be obsessed with them. Promises to "write a long letter" have been shelved as a nice idea to pursue when I readjust my priorities. Meanwhile I get off the carefully written--usually brief note, and try not to make those sorts of promises. I don't like to be kept hanging, and I refuse to do it to the people I care about. Hence going ahead and declining an invitation that will almost certainly be impossible to keep. Theoretically I should just be able to apply for the time off, and be assured of getting it. I have the leave balance, but one of the places I'm working has been using the power of fiat, and denying leave requests which were duly filed well in advance due to "business needs". The truly offensive part of that strategy, as far as I'm concerned, is that they're doing it a couple of days prior to the event. For people who have their entire lives planned down to Number of Attendees, this puts a serious kink in things. So off goes the carefully worded refusal, in duplicate! And back comes the "oh surely you must be able to manage this" Not when I'm trying to play by the company rules, unfortunately. This seems to be a time when all kinds of people I care about are readjusting their priorities. I understand its a process which can require time and space(a lot of both). I'm readjusting my own, and getting a lot of flowers planted in the process. Did I mention I go in for gardening therapy? Riots of colors, and a daily reminder that beauty requires, at a minumum, some watering, and that all things thrive in direct proportion to the care they receive.