I got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep
These are lyrics from Paul Simon’s The 59th Street Bridge Song.
I love living my life with no deeds to do, no promises to keep. It is a carefree, childlike existence where I plan my days with play, but the plans are not fixed. I do what the day feels. Playing includes drawing, coloring, reading, and writing, but not necessarily in that order. Playing also includes learning new things and exploring ideas.
Some people think that I am doing nothing and I am always available to do their bidding. They cannot see how I have made play my work; that I am always busy, always working. They would not like me calling them at their work and saying, “Are you busy? Can you come over now and help me to build Rome today?”
I do not mind people calling me when they need a favor. I do mind the people who think that I am sitting around doing nothing of value. They think that I am not working because I do not have a nine-to-five job repeatedly rolling a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down again. These people often ridicule me when I say that I am busy.
I try to keep my life simple, but sometimes I have deeds to do and promises to keep. Once I complete the deeds and keep the promises, I am like a child on the last day of school. I run through the school doors towards my much-anticipated summer holidays.
