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The Hurkle Durkle.
It sounds like a funky dance move from the 60s.
I first heard the term this week, after it apparently made its rounds in both the New York Times and the New York Post, as well as that beacon of pop culture Tik Tok. And let me tell you, I wish I had heard the term sooner because it’s my new favorite pastime.
“To lie in bed or lounge around long after you should be up and about”
The Scots are onto something.
For years, I set an alarm for 5:00 am so I could work out and shower before getting the kids off to school. Gavin often had to be at work by 8:30, and our mornings were hectic. Even on Saturdays, early games and even earlier tiny risers often disrupted what could have been a beautiful morning of blissful hurkle durkling. Fast forward 16 years and here we are, with independent kids, a business we own, and a schedule we control.
Around here, the hurkle durkle is in full swing. (Now, that really does sound like I’m talking about a dance move.)
You’re probably reading this post and rolling your eyes. I will admit that a few years ago I might have read a blog post like this and slammed my laptop in frustration. A luxurious morning lounging under the covers in my cozy bed? “Surely you jest,” I might have scoffed. That’s a pipe dream, not something that a regular person like me could do. Never could I imagine such a life! Surely hurkle durkling was a pastime for the independently wealthy or the devastatingly jobless. Not regular ‘ol me, a mom with four kids, a husband, and a busy household to run.
Around here, life looks different than it did a few years ago. Things just aren’t as busy as they used to be. I have margin for a lot of things that used to be out of the realm of possibility (In fact, I’m thinking of taking up gardening. Pro tips welcome.) Of course, we can’t hurkle durkle every day, but every once in awhile…I mean, why not?
Hurkle durkling is a quiet luxury. It’s like using fancy French soap or sleeping on one thousand thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. Getting out the good china. Going for the crushed ice in your soda.
No need to KNOCK IT. YET.
On a day when you don’t have to get up to an alarm or when someone else is taking care of the kids, revel in your own version of the hurkle durkle. Cuddle with your honey…OR DON’T. Read a book. Listen to your favorite album. Open the windows and breathe in that crisp-almost-springlike air. Anything goes when it comes to hurkle durkling—as long as you don’t actually get out of your bed.
And you don’t need to feel guilty about it, either. With a name like hurkle durkle, it’s got to be good for you. There’s nothing better than a little luxury that costs you nothing. Oftentimes, giving something simple like “an extra five minutes of rest” a fancy name like “hurkle durkle” makes it feel extra special.
For a country famous for its kilts, whiskey, and the Loch Ness Monster, I’d even argue that hurkle durkling might be my favorite of all Scotland’s many contributions.
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