I’m writing to you from my bed where I spend most of my time. I get in these moods that render me semi-paralyzed, where my days consist of watching VH1, eating Little Debbies and sometimes rolling over. The only things keeping my skin from fusing to the bed are a high metabolism and a full-time job. Sometimes I pretend that I’m Marilyn Monroe during her final days, but instead of lying naked atop satin sheets, surrounded by empty pill bottles, I share my crumb-infested bed with empty Hungryman Dinner trays, candy wrappers and a dead cell phone.

It’s the dead cell phone that has me concerned. You see, I’m lying on the right side of my queen size bed, but my phone charger is plugged into the wall on the left side. Rather than expend the energy to roll over and plug in my phone, I just chose to let it die. It’s bad enough that I sometimes use my cell phone to call my daughter in the next room, but now I can’t even summon the energy to plug it in. This can’t be healthy. Although, I feel like I’m decomposing, I still can’t think of a good reason to get out of bed. What’s wrong with me?

Sedentary And Depressed

Dear S.A.D.

If you’re asking me to give you a pathological label to excuse you from taking responsibility for your actions or rather inaction, I’m sorry to disappoint you. It doesn’t matter if you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Manic Depression, or a hang nail, it’s still up to you to decide how to live your life. You see, while you’re hiding out in your room, the world keeps turning, the ocean’s tide continues to ebb and flow, babies keep coming into the world, and people still die. No one cares that you prefer bed rest and reality TV to real life. No one cares, because they don’t notice. The world is full of slugs like you, but thanks to a handful of people who choose to make a contribution, you are able to lounge in bed reaping the benefits of their efforts by reading, eating microwaveable food and performing random google searches.

Do you think the world would have sensed a void if Hemingway had slept his days away? Probably not, but personally, I’m grateful for his discipline. I get to enjoy “The Sun Also Rises” because Hemingway had the motivation to rise before the sun to write it and other literary masterpieces. “For Whom the Bell Tolls” wasn’t the result of his winning some literary lottery. It was the result of Hemingway’s discipline of writing one word after another. He could have chose otherwise, but he didn’t.

And, you have choices, too. You can continue to glamorize your laziness as some eccentricity or disorder stemming from your wounded inner child. Or, you can stand up while your legs still work, and take a few steps toward the door. Forget about charging your cell phone. Step outside. Look around. There’s a clueless world out there. It’s up to you to decide if you want to fill the void or create it.

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