Reconnected Mom

What's the worst thing after being totally disconnected from the work world for two days?

Getting reconnected.

I was really hesitant to turn my Blackberry on last night, fearful of the onslaught of e-mails that were sure to arrive, the issues I was certain I had managed to miss.

I stared at the phone off and on for a few hours.

Do I REALLY want to turn that thing on?

I knew I did not, but knew it would eventually become necessary.

Eventually, I turned it on, left the volume off, and left it upside down so I couldn't see or hear it, but knew it was there, quietly downloading away.

Blinking like my own little night light, just in case I needed it.

For two more hours it blinked.

I periodically watched it blinking. Sort of like a beacon calling me.....

'Turn me over....come on, you know you wanna do it....'

The, I did what all smart working moms do. I called my mom.

'Should I flip it over and answer the e-mails?'

'No! Don't you dare! Those e-mails will be there tomorrow!'

Moms are great, aren't they? At least she didn't threaten to come flush it down the commode this time.

But she was right.

Okay, so I sort of peeked a little and scanned it before I went to bed, to be sure there was truly no crisis (there were none) and answered emails today, a valid work day.

And then I went to bed.

I'm officially reconnected today. It's sort of a love hate thing.

Too many people are without jobs for me to hate having a job, of any kind, period.

But by about 10 am I was not loving the barrage of calls and e-mails that came in.

I guess it's nice to be needed?

Perhaps it just depends on who needs me more and never losing perspective of who those people are.

Here's a clue: the people who need me most have stinky feet, crunchy-I-haven't-bathed-in-three-days-hair, a tan I would die for, and a laugh I love.

By the way, did anyone see Michael Jackson's ghost?

Yep, I am back and re-connected in full form.

Take your vacation days if you have them. They are there for a reason.

And turn your Blackberry off. You will be connected in all the right ways.

The work world will keep on spinning, just fine, more than likely.

(And, if you get really desperate, find the nearest 13 year old and hijack their I-phone.)