As any technically minded individual will be able to tell you all electronic devices have an inner core of magic smoke that makes them function. Which is why when you see a puff of smoke escaping from your laptop it doesn’t work anymore, because of the lack of aforementioned magic smoke.

Although I am not a doctor, I’m sure humans also function pretty much the same way. You start out with a full tank of magic smoke as a child and you keep going until it all escapes. Unlike a blender or a hairdryer all the smoke doesn’t just escape at once, it leaks out slowly over the years. For some it lasts years and you trundle along decade after decade till you just fizzle out one day, for others you come out of the factory a faulty tank that never held a full charge, which seems unfair and someone should off some kind of warranty.

So barring a manufacturing fault or accidental tank rupture you get around 70-80 years of use out of your body before the smoke gets out. That seemed like a lot longer when I was 20. Hell it seemed like a lot longer even five years ago. Something taking a couple of years at 30 is a lot less concerning than something taking a couple of years at 55.

Lately there has been an increasing sense of urgency about getting back to having a life, but I am not sure how. The work seems endless and my motivation and energy is definitely finite. I have been relying pretty heavily on the universe just working it out for me and showing me a great big glowing neon sign with the solution in it, but so far not so much as quick note saying NORMAL SERVICE WILL RESUME SHORTLY.

I’m starting to think I need to come up with my own plan, and make sure I don’t let my magic smoke just slowly escape while I am not paying attention.