One of my favorite learning activities we do in our You Don’t Have to Go Home from Work Exhausted! workshop is to recall favorite moments in your life and use these as reference points to create new energy. Sometimes, Ann will lead participants in an imaging exercise recalling favorite ways we played as children; other times we will talk about fun things you can do in 2-5 minutes, on weekday evenings, while commuting, or making a mini-vacation out of every weekend. And what is really fun is to combine these two concepts and do something now as an energy break that was fun for you as a kid.
During October, one of my favorite memories from childhood was getting a day off from school, riding the bus, and going to the State Fair of Texas. My mom grew up in the neighborhood around Fair Park. My Dad’s favorite moment was traveling to the State Fair from Gatesville, Texas during the Centennial and tasting a hamburger for the first time (at 9:00 AM in the morning!). While in elementary school, I entered some oil paintings in the Arts and Crafts Competition and won a giant blue ribbon. And, then…of course…there is the decadent food…Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, Funnel Cakes, Jack’s French Fries, Turkey Legs, and anything and everything that can be fried. This year’s specialties include fried s’mores, fried Fritos pie, and fried margaritas…just to name a few.
This will be the first year that we head out to the fair without my mom. In previous years, we would make a short visit of a few hours to relive a few memories. We would find a great place to sit and do some people watching, taste a few decadent treats, see the new car prototypes, look at the proud winners of the jelly and preserve competition, and watch kiddos try to win a stuffed animal on the Midway. This was one of our favorite family times of the year… reliving a few memories for two generations of childhood fun.
Reliving favorite memories works. Although there may be a brief moment of sadness this year, the great times we had together will bring joy and energy to our lives. One of the wonderful advantages of having moved downtown is that we can easily take the train to the fairgrounds. While we will likely pass up the fried beer this year, it is very likely that we will split a funnel cake in someone’s honor!
– Duane Trammell
"Ann McGee-Cooper teaches us that 'work' and 'drudgery' are not synonymous. She shows how a job can be a source of fellowship, zest, pride, fun, and individual expression. If we follow her precepts, we will return home refreshed, not jaded, and inspired rather than debilitated, at the end of our 'fun day,' not our 'work day.' We will also collectively be a more productive, competitive, and healthy society. I believe in what she says."