Weekend self-care open thread: A calming weekend

Posted by Liberal Librarian October 03, 2026

Weekend self-care open thread: A calming weekend

So, I had yesterday off. The missus and I did a bunch of stuff, including washing our cars and getting her car serviced, for which it was overdue; and as she is going back to work on Sunday needed to get done.

After we got home for good, I fiddle-farted, doing this and that. I was about to watch something, and then I stopped. "No," I told myself. "I am not going to watch anything. I'm going to listen to music and read."

And that's what I did.

And let me tell you, my friends. It was the best decision I made all day.

My soul was at ease and my mind was fed.

I think of this by William Wordsworth:

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;

We all spend too much time consumed with the world. We spend too much time consumed with things we cannot control. We spend precious little time taking care of ourselves. We don't care for our bodies, our minds, our souls. I have no idea what lies beyond the grave; but what I do know is that we are here now, and to waste this life when this may be all we have is a crime.

As someone who has more years behind him than ahead of him, I'm growing more loath to spend my time on fripperies and things that don't matter. The latest social media outrage is nothing. There will be more. But what am I doing for my mind? What am I doing for myself so that I can strengthen myself to help others? If all I'm doing is spending time online, arguing, caviling, that's not a decent life. That's no life for men and women, insult and hatred. I simply see no purpose in it. I want to stay as strong as I can to help as many people as I can. And if I'm in a constant state of stress, I'm of no help to anyone, much less myself.

So, I'm offering you some of what I listened to yesterday. Turn off. Recharge your batteries. And don't waste your time on things which don't matter. Because you're needed for the things which do.