During his time quarantined in the curling clubhouse in Canada, Purcell came up with a novel theory: we are all over-scheduled and suffering in some way from contagious chronic fatigue syndrome. He believes that he and the folks in the curling clubhouse simply contracted a more virulent strain of chronic fatigue than the rest of us already have. (This is purely his personal theory and is in no way endorsed by the medical authorities up in Canada.)
It's very possible that Purcell could be the Rachel Carson of our generation, and by encouraging us all to slow down and rest he could be literally preserving humanity. As he says, rest begins at home, so we are all making an effort to slow down. At his insistence, the children are learning to chew slowly at dinner and savor each flavor. Sometimes they are still slowly chewing at 8:00 pm.
Fortunately, his consulting business still takes him out of town for days at a time, so I use these interludes to conduct my busier activities, such as assembling interactive gift baskets for the school silent auction.
While Purcell is in the house I try to constrain myself to making mental plans. With all the extra time to plot things in my head, I believe I am more efficient and mentally acute than ever!
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