Coming up for air

I suppose one can't stay under the surface forever. At some point one has to come up for air. Truth be told, LP should take credit for prodding me out of my hibernation. Reading the backlog of his latest postings prompted a movement in the waters in which I had been hiding these months.

These are festive times, according to custom. For me these times mean sea, sun and barbecue - usually, that is. This year I am staying up here in cold New England. Why, every man has a budget, foreign though that idea may sound in the land of spending splendor and copious credit. My foreign travel budget has hit its limit in October of this year. So did my leave benefits for the year - a hard reminder of the realities of a working life in the USA. Fifteen working days of leave per year do not get one too far too often. Compare that to 25 working days of leave in Europe, or 20 working days in South Africa. But then one has to find work over there to begin with.

But no, I guess all of the above do not explain my hiding since October. Actually, I have been depressed since my return from vacation in October. Blame it on my temperament, recent social developments on the home front (in South Africa) and the planets if you will. Perhaps a higher dose of Ritalin would cure the symptoms if not the cause. On the other hand, I suppose the world would not prefer me on hyper drive.

Finding a partner might solve the cause. But now I've touched a nerve. Been there, done that.

"Doctor, Doctor, it hurts when I do that. "

"Then don't do that".

Time to dive.