Don't Walk

I've struggled with Sabbath-keeping, but the last couple of weeks, I've been better at it. My day off (Sabbath) that I try to guard is Monday and I'm still trying to get a handle on what behaviors I should give up and what behaviors I should take on. Here are the latest guidelines I've set for myself...

Thou shalt not go on Facebook or Twitter.

Thou shalt resist many temptations to use iPhone. I've done pretty well with this lately. I haven't carried it around with me and haven't checked email. I still check it occasionally throughout the day to check to see if I have any voice mails or texts, but I need to wean myself off that, too.

Thou shalt spend some time with your wife. That was easy today. Her birthday was yesterday and we celebrated at our favorite breakfast spot, the Sweet Maple Cafe in Little Italy. Seriously, the best pancakes I've ever had. We also spent some time at the Art Institute which leads me to...

Thou shalt do something beautiful. I don't know why I let my Art Institute membership lapse. It's a mile away from our home and, of course, has one of the greatest collections of beauty in the world. I re-upped last week and we spent 90 minutes there this morning. That's the great thing about being a member there. We can linger.

Thou shalt obey traffic signals. This may seem like an odd one, but it's one I've kept for a while and I like it. On other days, I'm constantly looking for opportunities to jaywalk (cross on a red light). It's pretty much a no-brainer in Chicago (and in most other towns and cities I assume). We're all very busy people, after all. But on Mondays, when the light says, Don't Walk, I don't walk. Even if there aren't any cars for miles around. It reminds me to literally stop and realize that I can stay for a few seconds longer. Nothing will happen any quicker if I try to race across the street.