"Busy"

Last week I was casually browsing through Borders when I overheard (or snooped) in on a conversation nearby. Two adults were seeing each other for the first time in what seemed like a long time. One said to the other, "how have you been?" The response was "busy, you?" in which the other replied "busy too." This is such a common exchange nowadays that I'm not quite sure why I stopped to think about it. And then I figured out why! This is a very sad reality to me. The use of the word 'busy' has replaced 'good' or 'well.' It seems that busy has become the new norm to fit in with today's fast paced society. If we are not busy or overcommitted every single day, we feel less of a sense of accomplishment or worth it seems. This is not how I want to fill my days! And yet, I feel that if I'm not busy, I don't have enough going on in my life to talk about.

The conversation I overheard just sparked some thoughts and I'm glad that (unlike usual) I stopped to think about it for a few minutes. When I run into people I know, I want to be sure to actually gather how they are doing not just what they are doing. I also want to be sure that I'm not simply fulfilled by having a full planner. Instead, I'd rather plan days to do nothing at all or be with the people who mean the most to me, since time spent this way is always fulfilling. I'm very glad I overheard the conversation and hope to really pay attention to the way I spend my days, with intention and purpose so that when someone asks, I can genuinely say I am doing well and that I am happy :).