Even Rechargeable Batteries Stop Working Sometime

The other day I was talking on my piece o’ crap cordless phone in my bedroom when after a few little beeps that were only audible to me it just went dead.  I placed the lightweight plastic handset into the charging cradle and reached over to Russ’ side of the bed and picked up the ‘ole reliable hardwire phone we have had for twenty years.  I redialed my friend and she asked what had happened.

When I told her my cordless phone won’t hold a charge any more she asked how could that be?  I explained that I needed to buy new rechargeable batteries for that phone; the old ones had just given way.  The idea that a rechargeable battery would not recharge came as a total shock to her.

Not being any type of an engineer, nor married to one like me, actually I’m not sure she ever took any science or math in college I tried to explain to her that even rechargeable batteries had some finite lifespan and I was on the edge with this phone.  I tried to find an example of something she owned that stopped holding a charge even after it had been plugged in.  After quizzing her about cameras, cell phones, computers even toys we never could find anything she had that had stopped charging before she just threw it away.

I then moved on to try and find an example that was even more esoteric.  How about her own body?  Had she ever had to up her caffeine intake to give her the boost she needed to make it through the day?  That seemed to hit home.  I continued asking if she kept increasing the coffee or did she eventually get enough sleep to totally recharge herself?  Of course the answer was the sleep that there was not enough caffeine in the world to keep her running.

The problem with most of us Type A’s is we think of ourselves as beings with rechargeable batteries that should work forever.  But when you can’t hold a charge any longer or your charge is short lived it is time to do yourself a favor and change your batteries.  For a human that means take a big break from the rat race and slowing down.  Perhaps it means taking a vacation you don’t need a vacation from.  Just give yourself permission to do nothing for a day or two or even three.

If anyone asks you to do something for them just tell him or her you are busy changing your batteries.  You can always get back to them when you are fully recharged again.