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No One is Watching: What Do You Do?

No One is Watching: What Do You Do?

My wife just flew off to Holland. Even took our 6-year old with her. My 8-year old had a sleepover last night and I’m going to meet them at a party at 11:30 this morning.

I Can Do Absolutely Anything I Want ( … this morning)

I have a full-time job, I have a few part-time jobs. I have the previously-mentioned two boys and my wife. The deck needs sanding. My hard drive isn’t cooperating, we have new movies on Netflix. Unlimited, really. It’s weekend. My book is a page turner. I could work on the summer photo album. It is November, after all.

Does what you do when no one is watching define your personality?
When this occasion arises and, dear reader, it so very rarely does, what do you do? If no one knows what you’re doing, there won’t be record of it, it’s a clean slate, a fresh coat, it’s wide open. Does what you do in that time define you? At least a part of you?

What I’ve been doing all morning, in fact, for the past 4 hours, has, frankly, shocked me. Shocked me a good way, I’m proud, I’m almost embarrassed as it sounds too good to be true, as if I pushed myself to do it so I could “do the right thing.” But the right thing for whom? If no one is watching, it’s just for yourself. But you know the feeling, you are just going to do a little bit of what you want to do before what you have to do. Just a bite of dessert before dinner. Just a glance at the email before the work.

But today, I seriously don’t have a logical reason why, I started writing.

I even felt, “Just for a few minutes, then I’ll get to all of the other things.” But usually, for me anyway, writing is hard, laborious, brain work, a thought process. If I’m alone, I should watch the action thriller my wife hates or the football game. “But just quickly a bit of writing.” Is this the experiment once again? Am I building this habit–is this habit getting out of control? I can think of worse habits to let go wild. If this is becoming a habit, if it’s becoming something I actually enjoy doing, I’ll take it.

Now. Now it’s time to clean up the house and give that broken hard drive another spin.

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