Free Time

How often have we come across the saying, "Time and tide wait for no man." 

This oft repeated mundane phrase which sets about to instill in us a sense of purpose, an urgency, or even moral responsibility; seldom looks into the contemporary situation where people have no time for anything. Neither do we bother with time for time's sake, nor do we even bother with the tides. In the daily doldrums of routine, such things matter so little that it is only when we have some free time at hand do we look around and measure it. We count the days till we have reached a point of respite and once we are free we pray for time to go slow to enjoy it to the maximum. 

 The question however is, do we really enjoy the free time we do get? We plan so much, the myriad activities, the wondrous travels, ponderous books, and parties. In the end we end up lying on our backs till the sun scorches us awake or waste our time TV surfing. We must know that as humans we are entitled to only so much free time, even in that if we do not pursue something that we love, how is it of any worth at all? Wouldn't we have been better off without it?

Image of leisure

Agreed that the few hours we get in the name of leisure should indeed be devoted to that, but we must learn to define leisure. If leisure means a simple siesta, without any concrete output, then we need to seriously look into ourselves and introspect. We as a species may have well defined goals which we achieve in our work time, but as Robin Williams said in The Dead Poet's Society, it is for the pursuit of those arts which fall out of our main goals, that humanity endures. Our lives should not be embroiled in the meaningless struggle to simply survive and procreate. We must live.

It can be the stroke of a brush, scratches of a pen, strums of an instrument, swaying of our bodies. Do it for the pleasure of simply doing it. Consequences be damned when you're free. If we cannot pursue our hobbies when we are free, we also cannot pursue our goals when we aren't.

Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson