Doing more with less

Those past six weeks I spent in the Chair of Immobility at home, mending from this burst Achilles tendon, was preparation for doing more with less. Short drives along the Ka Iwi Coast now qualify as family excursions or couple time with my husband after we took the girls to school.

My husband, employed at The Advertiser since 1988, and even before that as a part-time editorial assistant while in college, received his layoff notice while I was at home convalescing.

We’re probably looking at a 2/3s cut in family income when he turns out the lights and is the last one to leave the old newspaper building sometime this summer. We are sad about this. John and I met at The Advertiser.  He taught me a lot there and then I moved on.

So John is looking at starting from square one, perhaps training for a new career. He’s quiet. I’m the yang to his yin. I’m the family spokeswoman, I’m the one who drives the van to Servco and demands that they fix this piece of crap door for nothing and drive away in a loaner happy and assured.

I thought 2009 sucked. For all I know, 2010 could be even harder on individuals, families, Hawaii, the nation, everyone. My in-laws, Depression babies, know the value of simplicity, and our world is contracting toward that part of the cycle again.

Things get fixed, recycled, refurbished. This whole living green business is just the tip of the iceberg. It has to work with how well we treat our health, our jobs and our relationships. We’ll be relying on each other so much more. We need to do that yogic stuff: slow, deep breathing, soften our faces, relax into smiles. And think peaceful thoughts. I’m hoping all that will help as my husband and his former colleagues start canvassing Honolulu for new jobs.