Let’s Get It Started
I am a full-time working woman. Seven hours a day and 35 hours per week. I’ve always worked outside the home except for a couple of breaks in my career. I was or am still a mom. My children are grown. Adults now. Are you still a mom when your children are living on their own, leading their own lives? Yes, you sure are. It’s a role that you never give up. The relationship changes, as it should, but it is one you have for your entire life.
“Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” –Anthony Brandt
https://www.shutterfly.com/ideas/family-quotes/
Working full-time has become easier without having to drop children at school, pick them up, and maneuver around their schedules. Over the years with my mom-independence, my career has changed, grown, and I’ve had very fulfilling work experiences. I found my groove with routine, discipline, and priorities in my life. It’s the constant in my life and I’m here to share what my typical Monday to Friday work week looks like for me:
5:30 a.m. my alarm sounds off. I’d like to say that I’ve had a restful, full night’s sleep, but some nights that is elusive and that is a story for another blog post. I grab my phone and click on my Radioplayer app, which has my news radio channel selected. While I listen to the news, weather, and sports, I scroll through my calendar and email mentally preparing for my day. My husband is already up and usually dressed bringing me my complimentary morning cup of tea.
6:00 a.m. I am wide awake but still in bed. The dog is snuggled in the blankets, warm, and toasty. I roll over to grab the water with lemon on my bedside table and drink a healthy 16 oz. I take my cup of hot tea with me to the shower.
6:45 a.m. Dressed and ready for the day, I walk down the hallway to the kitchen. I prepare my cucumbers, celery, and ginger for my morning juice smoothie. Into my high-powered blender, it goes. The machine whirs as I prepare the dog’s breakfast.
7:00 a.m. I am one of those people who set several alarms in the morning. Weird, I know, but it keeps me on track and gets me to the office on time. Anyhow, my alarm goes off, I grab my laptop and my backpack, and out the door, I go. It takes a few moments on a cold day for the vehicle to catch its breath and warm up. I back out of the driveway and down the cul-de-sac to the main avenue.
7:10 a.m. The perks of living in a small city are that it’s a quick drive to the office. I find a parking stall, grab my belongings, and head inside an already brightly lit building. I settle my things, make a carafe of coffee for the team, and begin my day.
7:30 a.m. My workday, the part that I get paid for, officially begins. I shift into businesswoman and professional mode, spending a good lot of my day in front of my computer, researching, responding to emails, reading, writing, and on video calls. Some days, I am planning events and attending meetings or workshops.
11:30 a.m. This is one moment I look forward to; lunchtime. I take a break and leave the office to grab lunch and walk. There are some scenic trails just behind the office building. The one trail I walk takes 20 minutes. It makes for a nice break to prepare for the afternoon.
4:00 p.m. It’s quitting time. I shut my laptop down, papers are filed and put away, my jacket is on, and I’m out! I contemplate if I am making supper, SKIPping supper (forgive the bad grammar using SKIP the Dishes as a verb), or just venturing out on the town for supper! Mom independence allows me to do that!
I arrive home, tidy up some breakfast dishes, maybe throw in a load of laundry and wait for my hubby to arrive home. He works in the ‘bigger’ city, and the drive takes about 45 minutes. Gives me some time to decompress, leave any business and professional responsibilities at the door, and relax into me.
I found that as I wrote this piece and learned the nuances of blogging and Twitter submission; I incorporated some of the following storytelling techniques. The story started with the title of 7/35. It piques the interest of readers to stop and find out want this actually means. I feel that it grabs the attention of the person scrolling. The story is told from the point of view of a working mom with grown children and how working full-time and life has changed for her. It’s told with simplicity and in plain language, speaking from the heart.
In conclusion, during the week, this is my day-to-day 7/35 routine. While it plays like a scene out of the movie Ground Hog Day, it has variety and is fulfilling. A typical day for me includes approximately 7 hours of creative work in my field of choice. Of course, this does not include the role I play after hours. The coffee dates with friends, the moments with my husband, and the visits with my grown daughters. Family time is a priority and belongs to us.
Prioritizing family has created strong bonds between us and has made for a comfortable home that is a place of refuge and peace in a busy work world.
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 