long days at work

Sometimes you have to do it -- work long hours, that is.

Even in other countries where they're not so career-centric as we North Americans, they still need to do it sometimes.

But it's sad when those long days need to be in the summer. Canadian summers are so preciously short, it's such a shame to waste them in an air conditioned office building, tap-tap-tapping away with not even a window to see what the weather is like outside.

Summer is generally a slow time for many businesses as people are away on vacation. That means it's the perfect time for a website overhaul. In theory.

In practice, it means that your team may be going on vacation and won't be around to fix bugs. In practice, it means that you'd rather be at an outdoor concert or sipping iced lattes on a patio as the sun goes down instead of writing that specifications document or revising your project schedule.

Last night, I tried to enjoy the summer evening. Even at 10pm, there are things to enjoy. The glow of the sky against the financial district highrise lights. The cool breeze, the quiet hum and emptiness of the streets where cars previously bustled and blared. Hearing the squeak of my bicycle wheels as I ride down the middle of a side street lined with great trees, feeling separated from the world outside. My mind wandering to the events of the day, settling on none. And finally arriving home to my dark, quiet house. Moving through it on bare feet, watering my plants as I talk to them about my day and theirs.

Life can be content, even when there is work to do. It just requires mindfulness of the beautiful things.