How do you gird your loins?
How do you... uh... ungird them?
No, no, I don't want the textbook definition. I know what the phrase means. HEY! Put. The. Phone. Down. Siri and Google have already put up with enough of our bizarre questions. I'm asking what you do before you set out to take on the business of the day, and what you do that signifies you have ended your day and will no longer be available for general life stuff until tomorrow.
In our chat group the phrase "gird your loins" came up. (I might or might not have made a dumb joke about "Well I know a girdER is a big steel beam, and if one falls on you in an earthquake that means either you are dead or the group counts you as a handicap until the end of the movie.") We talked for a bit about the girding of loins and then moved on.
What my chat group friends don't know is, sometimes my brain will snatch up a little nugget like a squirrel with a black walnut, and go off to a corner to try to crack it. I started thinking about the things people do at the start of their day that means "Okay world, here I come!" and what they do that means "Okay the day is over. Leave me alone until tomorrow."
For me, girding my loins has to be putting my pocket loadout in my pockets. Wallet, keys, multi-tool knife, pen, nail clippers, car key, phone. Each pocket has its own items, and never changes. And I never load up until I am about to Start The Day.
This is an important distinction because I might get up four hours before I Start The Day. I get up around 4 or 5, and I don't have to leave for w*rk until a bit after 8:30. I might open the door, go out to feed the dog, even drive out to the ATM real quick... But I haven't Started The Day yet because I haven't put my pocket loadout in place. That doesn't happen until 8:37am.
I heard one comedian phrase it in drink terms. "Coffee is an optimistic drink, perfect for the start of the day. It's a brand new day, full of hopes and dreams and promises. Coffee gives you the energy to go bravely forth and grab all the day has for you."
"Wine... That's for the other end of the day. Wine is for when you have given up on being a productive member of society for the day. Wine is your way of telling the world, look... I tried."
Another comedian gave a great example of ungirding. He called his family and the eldest son answered. Son said they were out of something he needed for a class project - glue, I think. Father said, why not go to the store and GET some? Son said, "No way dad. The bra has come off. When the bra comes off, that's it for the day. We don't go anywhere else."
So what about you?
Do you have something you do every day right before you set out? Something you never do until you are officially ready to Start The Day? What do you do that sends the signal to everyone in your house that you are done for the day?
How do you... uh... ungird them?
No, no, I don't want the textbook definition. I know what the phrase means. HEY! Put. The. Phone. Down. Siri and Google have already put up with enough of our bizarre questions. I'm asking what you do before you set out to take on the business of the day, and what you do that signifies you have ended your day and will no longer be available for general life stuff until tomorrow.
In our chat group the phrase "gird your loins" came up. (I might or might not have made a dumb joke about "Well I know a girdER is a big steel beam, and if one falls on you in an earthquake that means either you are dead or the group counts you as a handicap until the end of the movie.") We talked for a bit about the girding of loins and then moved on.
What my chat group friends don't know is, sometimes my brain will snatch up a little nugget like a squirrel with a black walnut, and go off to a corner to try to crack it. I started thinking about the things people do at the start of their day that means "Okay world, here I come!" and what they do that means "Okay the day is over. Leave me alone until tomorrow."
For me, girding my loins has to be putting my pocket loadout in my pockets. Wallet, keys, multi-tool knife, pen, nail clippers, car key, phone. Each pocket has its own items, and never changes. And I never load up until I am about to Start The Day.
This is an important distinction because I might get up four hours before I Start The Day. I get up around 4 or 5, and I don't have to leave for w*rk until a bit after 8:30. I might open the door, go out to feed the dog, even drive out to the ATM real quick... But I haven't Started The Day yet because I haven't put my pocket loadout in place. That doesn't happen until 8:37am.
I heard one comedian phrase it in drink terms. "Coffee is an optimistic drink, perfect for the start of the day. It's a brand new day, full of hopes and dreams and promises. Coffee gives you the energy to go bravely forth and grab all the day has for you."
"Wine... That's for the other end of the day. Wine is for when you have given up on being a productive member of society for the day. Wine is your way of telling the world, look... I tried."
Another comedian gave a great example of ungirding. He called his family and the eldest son answered. Son said they were out of something he needed for a class project - glue, I think. Father said, why not go to the store and GET some? Son said, "No way dad. The bra has come off. When the bra comes off, that's it for the day. We don't go anywhere else."
So what about you?
Do you have something you do every day right before you set out? Something you never do until you are officially ready to Start The Day? What do you do that sends the signal to everyone in your house that you are done for the day?
*GG grabs a cup of tea and curls up on the couch wondering just what a signal could possibly be to let everyone in her house know she's done for the day. She ponders over the fact that there could possibly be any other way to do this than slipping melatonin drops into everyone's bed time tea. She begins to think that maybe, just maybe she should try...
