Living Here: Flojera

I haven't posted anything in this blog for two weeks, and although I have probably fifteen ideas for posts in draft, I can't seem to get one finished. I don't seem to be getting much of anything else done, either, and I don't really care very much.

I think I am suffering from flojera, lethargy. In Mexico, if a person is flojo, that means they are lazy, a layabout. I don't know how common the expression is, and it's not in the dictionary, but I know a couple of people in Mérida who term this condition flojeritis. Lack of energy and interest in work or accomplishment are the primary symptoms of this complaint.

In my case the flojeritis aguda (the acute form of the disease) probably stems from several causes. Three weeks ago I came down with some kind of bug that bothered my stomach and made me tired, and it has persisted for quite awhile.

About that same time I also started having fairly serious problems with my aging laptop that make handling photos and working on the blog extremely tedious and not much fun.

Then along with the longer fall nights we've been having cool mornings. In an airy old stone house like mine, on these mornings it feels really good to pull the blanket over your head and stay in bed a bit later.

And looking back, I took seven fairly major trips in the past year, some of them pretty stressful.

All legitimate reasons to feel a bit flojo. I think my mind and body are just telling me I need a good break.

I don't suffer from flojera too often, because I have enough interesting things to do around here that even on a bad morning I always manage to get up long enough to get started on something. Once up, it doesn't take me long to get involved and forget that I didn't feel very energetic at the outset. Or sometimes, when I feel the symptoms of flojeritis coming on, I just take it easy for a couple of days, stay in and finish reading a book, and let the bug take its course. Then after a bit I find that I want to be outside, and again have the energy to do what I need or want to do.

So I know flojera is just temporary. I've been to the doctor and my stomach is better. I have more energy. I visited the corner hardware and bought a badly-needed new broom and a few household repair items, and for some reason that makes me feel like doing chores around the house. And here I am, almost finished with a post for the blog.

I'm pulling out of it. Think I'll post this and go take on the leaf-strewn patio.