Me Time I've always struggled with the concept of "me-time". As a young father in my thirties, I worked all the hours God sent in order to keep a roof over my family's head, food on the table, clothes on our backs and the gas boiler lit. I was happy doing this, but felt that I was disappearing as a person in my own right.....I was merely seen as a worker, husband, father, son, with pressures on me to fulfil my roles, and little time to spend on the things that made me "me". I've always loved music, reading, walking, spending time with friends and family; the usuals for most guys I suppose, but found little time, or the heart, to pursue my interests. Then I discovered the gym, and ploughed all my efforts into "getting fit", spending at least two hours per visit, four times a week. I enjoyed it.....or rather I enjoyed the fact that I had a few hours to myself, listening to my iPod as I slogged away on the treadmill, sweating my arse off in the sauna for far too long as is good for you as it gave me the time to just sit and think. It was then that the crisis of conscience kicked in; by spending so much "me-time" I was forgoing "our-time" with my family. I gave up the gym accordingly and gained a renewed bond with my wife and son.....as well as a few pounds in weight. But d'you know what? I'd rather have a few pounds extra weight than trade it in for the hours I've spent laughing, crying, arguing and talking with them. In fact, I've grown fond of my pot-belly....it reminds me of all the good times I've spent with them, eating long, drawn-out dinners at the table whilst discussing our days. And so, here I find myself in my mid-Forties, with so much me-time that I don't know what to do with myself. I still work all the hours God sends, but make sure I'm here to sit down to dinner each night. My wife now works most weekends, and my son's at an age where his world revolves around his friends, so here I sit curled up alone on the sofa with a coffee and an iced bun, enjoying my "me-time"......counting down the minutes until they're home......