And that’s when the cat throws up…

A stock photo of a cat that is better-looking than our cat and probably doesn’t suffer from irritable bowel disorder.

I like to be busy. But ‘busy’ is a pretty vague term. I have experienced ‘too busy to function properly’, with two young children, working most nights and weekends, often sick, struggling with cashflow and never getting a full night’s sleep. My current level of busy, when listed, sounds much more onerous: renovation going on while I try to work, refinancing my loans, school holidays, deadlines, managing a couple of small businesses, some other stuff that’s too dull to mention. But it’s not more onerous at all. It’s completely different. It’s not only manageable, it’s often enjoyable.

 There’s a world of difference between the kind of busy that you’ve chosen and the kind that’s thrust upon you. Essentially, ‘busy’ that’s beyond your control is simply stressful. When my kids were little, I could guarantee that they would each wake me up at least once, one person in the household was sick nearly all the time, and if I managed to squeeze in some time to work the cat would thoughtfully vomit in the middle of the hallway. It was a lot. I can’t multitask for shit at the best of times, and during this period my brain only functioned in quite limited ways.

I was reminded recently by a friend that for about five years I wore my keys on a lanyard around my neck whenever I left the house, taking them off only to put into the ignition. This was my way of managing one of my problems: the fact that my brain could not keep track of my keys and a baby simultaneously. Because my brain prioritised the baby, I spent about an hour a day looking for my keys before developing the Lanyard MethodTM, patent pending. (Hah, it’s actually a terrible solution. Hit the kids in the face with my keys many times. One star.)

Now, in comparison, life is easy. I have my keys in my handbag. Nobody is unwell. Cat vomit is no longer a cause for despair. It’s still fucking annoying, but I have a solution. I’m getting rid of the carpet and putting down some laminate flooring. Look, I never said my solutions were practical or successful. They solve a limited problem at a certain cost. But I’m getting shit done; and when the cat pukes, I have enough brain space not to want to kick it.