Sunday, September 2, 2007

Please leave a message…

I love these out-of-office automated replies. It gives the impression to whoever has just contacted you that you were considerate enough to rub your vacation into their face, complete with how long you’ll be away while they’re still working. My main complaint is my automated message never seems to work!

I am finally on vacation. A number of tell-tale signs indicated that it was time to take a break (let’s just say that I fell just a few inches shy of breaking things), and though finding a seat on a plane proved to be a challenge, I was packed and off in a few days. “Packed” not only referred to necessary and not-so-necessary items of clothing, but also to a number of books, articles, etc. that I thought I would attend to now that I had free time. Big mistake. The one thing worse than bringing work with you on your vacation is being overrun with guilt for not doing said work. After two days of trekking around with a backpack full of papers and books, instead of swimsuits and shorts, I received a metaphorical slap in the face from a friend who simply insisted “DETACH”. Interesting how the simplest messages forcefully expressed are so effective… If you need me, I’ll be at the mall or evaporating on the beach. Still carrying those articles around, but not really caring if I get to them or not. Guess attitude really is everything.

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