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Downtime – A necessity, not a luxury
by Stacey Paretti Rase
Last Christmas, a good friend gave me a gift certificate for an hour of flight instruction. He knew I had taken a break from pursuing my pilot’s license when I started my job here at IN, and his gift was a gentle nudge to get me back up in the air. I am ashamed to admit that, since last December, I have moved that certificate to “next week’s agenda” on my calendar each and every week. How quickly those weeks pass away! Here I sit in October, with that piece of paper still resting quietly on my desk. Somehow, in the past eleven months, I have not made it a priority to take one hour out of my schedule to devote just to me.
This reality truly hit home while putting together this issue’s feature on Franco’s O Spa. Club owner Sandy Franco spent countless hours researching elements to be included in the new spa’s design, as well as extensive time conceiving the overall idea of defining a new “spa culture,” in which taking time out for yourself is a priority. Sandy says that it alarms her to see people running through life on only one speed—overdrive. (I wondered if she had seen me zipping through traffic on Hwy. 190 lately.) She believes that visiting a spa shouldn’t be considered an indulgence, but a necessity. “It gives you a chance to renew your thoughts and regenerate your body,” she told me. I knew immediately that Sandy would whip me with a wet noodle if she knew about that lingering gift certificate.
Just about the time I had let Sandy’s message sink in, my pinky toe had a run-in with my coffee table. With a broken bone, I was forced to slow down. I couldn’t run around as usual and even had to decline a few of October’s most appealing invitations. I missed the Polo Patron Party, LSU tailgating and too many tennis matches. The downtime was a bit refreshing, however. It required that I sit still, which allowed me moments to clear my head.
This holiday season, promise to carve out some time for you and you alone—to visit a spa, read a book or pursue your hobby. And I promise that as soon as my toe is mended, I’ll schedule time for that flying lesson.
IN is in search of the northshore’s “Hottest Husbands” to appear in our Jan/Feb issue. Email stacey@insidenorthside.com and tell us why you think your guy deserves the title!
Congratulations to Slidell’s Shirley Henderson, winner of last issue’s Word Search!
