Twenty-six of the greatest lessons I was ever taught.

This is a chapter from The ABCs of Dan M. Wilson.

A true commodity when you grow older is “quiet time.” Gone are the days of returning home from school and having nothing more than homework and the occasional chore to worry about on any given evening. Once you hit your adult years and are dealing with all the added responsibilities you’ll face, you may find yourself unable to take a break for several days as opposed to “in a few hours.”

“Ahhhhh. Home, sweet home.”

During my youth you could find Grandpa Dan crashed out on his black couch downstairs on any given Sunday. Grandma Pat would have to threaten him with physical violence in order to get him to remove himself from it. Sunday, as the saying goes, was truly a day of rest of the man. I used to think that he was lazy on those days, especially when he would doze off during one of our Sunday afternoon movie sessions. After I reached adulthood myself – and was living on my own – I completely understood.

Adult life seems to be a series of never-ending chores. You have to work, pay bills, clean your home, go to the grocery store, buy gas, take your car in for oil changes, take care of your lawn, haul the trash to the curb, go to the doctor, go to the dentist, make dinner, do laundry…the list goes on and on. Now imagine if you are married and/or have children. You may seemingly never get any quiet time let alone any time to yourself.

There are certain chores that you can do that will allow you some peace and quiet. You just have to make them fun and relaxing. Once a month, Grandpa Dan would spread out newspaper on the floor in his bedroom and place every pair of shoes he owned on them. He’d turn on his stereo, don his headphones, and listen to Big Band music for several hours while he shined every pair. Even though he was working – and this task would go on anywhere from 3-5 hours – Dad managed to turn this seemingly mundane chore into a relaxing and peaceful endeavor.

Ahhhhh. Home, sweet home.

So get into the routine of carving out an evening after work or school that is solely reserved for you and you alone where you do absolutely nothing but the things you want to do. Set a schedule with you’re the tasks that you have to do each week, which I will explain the importance of in the next chapter, and stick to it so that you can have time to recharge your batteries on a weekly basis.

Quiet time is a time-honored tradition that, when upheld, allows you to wash away the stresses of every day life. Surround yourself with the comforts that bring you the most peace. You have no idea how highly I recommend this. I am currently writing you these words from the hammock in my backyard.

Ahhhhh. Home, sweet home.