May 14, 2007

When Do You Find Time to Do Nothing?

Now that I’ve hit the big 6-7 age-wise, I’m spending more time doing nothing.

Funny thing about Americans, we now live in an era when all sorts of things are done for us.

I mean, hey, has life ever been easier?

Toilets flush themselves. Faucets produce water with a wave of the hand. We have self-winding watches, self-rising flour, self-cleaning ovens and automatic doors.

I hear tell there’s even a new car on the market that parks itself.

So, given the fact we have all of these so-called “time-saving conveniences”, how come we don’t have more time to do nothing?

Some people always have to be doing something. If they aren’t doing something, they feel as if they are doing nothing, which, in my opinion, is exactly what they should be doing. Or maybe I should say, shouldn’t be doing.

The other day, just for the sheer heck of it, I made a list of things I really don’t want to do any more. They include:

• Washing the car.
• Mowing the lawn.
• Answering telephone calls from obnoxious telemarketers.
• Answering telephone calls from friendly telemarketers
• Opening bills that arrive in the mail.
• Cleaning the garage.
• Fighting rush-hour traffic on the interstate.
• Grocery shopping.
• Watching “Oprah”, “Entertainment Tonight” and Dr. Phil.

Instead of dutifully performing those mundane tasks, I’d rather be doing nothing . . . or doing things I really, really enjoy, like fishing, strolling on a beach and playing with my grandchildren.

I think there comes a moment in every person’s life when it’s time to devote less time to the chores of daily living and have some fun doing nothing.

My friend Jim telephoned the other day.

“Hi, Batzie, whatcha doing?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I replied.

“Huh,” he said.

“I’m sitting on the patio doing nothing,” I said. “Earlier today I spent two hours in the garage doing nothing. Later this afternoon I’m going to plunk down in a chair on the front porch and do nothing.”

Maybe W. H. Davies had the right idea when he penned his poem Leisure. He wrote: 

What is this life, if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare,

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance. 

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich the smile her eyes began. 

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

© 2007 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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