The other day, I was talking with friends. The conversation turned to travel, and my proclivity to take the “long way home.” I have been known to travel from Seattle through Dallas to Chicago, just for the miles. . .
I travel for “a living.” Meaning, I am on an airplane. . .a lot. (Have you seen the movie, Up In The Air?)
I mentioned a trip where I went to Hawaii, via Chicago. From Seattle. This make little “sense,” of course. Not to mention, adds several hours to the trip.
“What a waste of time!” my new friend said. “What were you thinking? Just imagine what you could have done with all that time.”
Hmmmm. All that time.
Do you mean, what could I have done with that time. . .
other than sip
or read
or pay attention
or write
or sleep
or ponder
or wonder
or daydream?
So. Now. . .we have a measurement tool that evaluates only time well-spent?
What on earth is this knee-jerk reaction to justify every expenditure of time by giving it a worthwhile name or category?
Many time. . .on my travels. . .I have been simply, surprised by joy. Does that count?
“This is my real world, where life proceeds at its own healthy pace,
where I can revel in the luxury of paying more attention
to sunrise and sunset than to clock time.” Kathleen Norris
White man see me whittling, and thinks I’m doing nothing.
Chief Dan George
8 Comments
Because of your influence, Terry, I have been able to give myself the gift of doing “nothing” quite often over this past summer. I have been able to write and read and be……and have never been so relaxed as I start new teaching year. Ease is the word. It’s wonderful.
Thank you.
;)
I love this. And I love that I posted one of my favorite quotes:
“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Bertrand Russell
even before I read this! (Cyber-synch.)
Thanks, Terry!
Nice! I say that with a smile and sincerity! :-) perhaps your new friend just needs to slow down and appreciate the smell of jet fuel vs the aroma of the destination, as it is the journey that matters. :-)
Cyndi. I plead guilty to having been under the influence of jet fuel a time or two in my life. And the aroma of the “destination” is oddly intoxicating, causing me to mumble incoherently, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
It is the journey indeed that matters. . .which, gladly, includes the connection with new friends.
I so get your sentiment; so spot-on. The two supporting quotes are wonderful, too. (Norris is a gifted author.)
I was sharing with some folks recently that it is my contention that we won’t recognize our species 50 years from now because of the way and manner in which we interact and connect to others, and also due to how we fundamentally misunderstand what’s valuable in life.
We are slowly, if we are lucky, but surely becoming automatons. It’s akin to the original Matrix flick. I know I’m engaging in hyperbole, but not entirely. Neil Postman saw it coming in his “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” He was a lucid and prophetic voice, a “mind awake,” if you will.
Hey Constantine. Glad to see your comments. After I read Postman’s Technopoly, I wanted to read his other works as well, because I too find his voice lucid. We need to talk about the reality of how our cultural presuppositions shape us (eg. how time is measured and judged –faster wins–, what is true and of value –”as seen on TV”).
I recommend a wonderful book by Richard Louv entitled Last Child in the Woods, about how our disconnect from the real (sensual, tangible, visceral) world in favor of screen time alone, is to our serious detriment.
Thank you for the book recommendation.
I thought I’d share the below link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYDA7__znfY