"You've got too much time on your hands!"
Ok, this has become my All-Time A-Number-One Least Favorite Saying. Here is my reasons why, they are tseven-fold:
"You've got too much time on your hands!" - People say it at the drop of a hat. An otherwise overworked person can put their feet up for 15 seconds and be told they have too much time on their hands!
"You've got too much time on your hands!" - It implies you are a better person than I am because you are busy! Since when did being busy become a moral good. I know you American Pigdogs think there is no higher ethic than to be so busy you can't get it all done. Let me quote Dr. Phil, "How's that working out for you?" Are you really enjoying your life so full of crud you can't even fathom my freedom?
"You've got too much time on your hands!" - Comes from a place of jealousy. The overworked soccer mom sees that I've made a Kinex Roller coaster and a pang of the green eyed monster makes them remember when they had hobbies and free time. Don't blame me, you're the breeder. You made the choices in your life and I made the choices in mine, my choices result in time on my hands. (Also I've had blood on my hands, dirt under my nails but never time "on" my hands. I wear a watch but that is "on" my wrist.)
"You've got too much time on your hands!" - People don't realize how angry it makes me to hear this! They are insensitive (a failing I've fallen into in the past, just ask Katie). I've sense reformed can you? I know I'm a bad person but I refuse to accept spare time a vice not a virtue.
"You've got too much time on your hands!" - Some people seem to think spare time is sinful. Although everyone knows "Idle hands are the devil's playthings." This isn't really a scripture, it has the moral athority of "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" has medical authority. Have we forgotten the Sabbath? The day of rest baby, live it.
"You've got too much time on your hands!" - This implies I have more time than you do. Wrong we have the same 24 hours a day. The same 525,960 minutes minutes a year! And to be honest my eating and workout habits imply I have less time to live than some of you healthy people! You've got more time than I do!
"You've got too much time on your hands!" - It somehow gives you the right to tell me what I should be doing. My Sister not only does she think I've got too much free time she also thinks it's her job to fill it up. Maybe I have free time not because I do less, I just get more done faster than you do. How? I don't spend time telling others what to do.
I say, "You've got too little time on your hands!"
posted by Trey Laminack @ 10:14 AM
9 comments
9 Comments:
That group would be Styx. And although I don't disagree with your premise; I do think that young Americans are cursed with too much idle time. And like most youth, idle time is used in the pursuit of bad stuff (usually). The sabbath was one day; but we have already added a second day to our weekly rest and not to mention all those hours of work after 5:00 pm but before it gets dark. Not saying that the old days were particularly better but I wonder what we might be if we still had to work together as a family more to get the chores done.
I disagree.
What is occuring is that younger people see their lives as a blancing act and not a schedule. For Gen X, one's like is a combonation of work anf play. Both are seen a neccasary parts of a whole. Both are seen as serious and neither should be neglected.
Previous generations have seen life as work first, play when there is time. For Gen X, this is not ideal. One should "make time" for play as it is just as important as work.
This is the undercurrent of Trey's post, in my opinion. That "too much time" is really the culmination of hard work an planning.
In this sense, the philosophy of "what am I working so hard for if I can't enjoy it" reigns.
I think about Graham's schedule being too crowded. Soccer-Choir-Homework-The Homework from Yesterday-LTC Practice-etc.
I may have an idealized view of the past but I recall time that had no scheduled activity.
I'm fairly certain I've said that to you a couple of times...sorry.
All of the stuff Graham is involved in he chose on his own. He chose to try out for Show Choir; I didn't even know he was going to do that. I encouraged him to chose only one LTC activity; he chose 3. Soccer season is only 2 months in the spring, 2 months in the fall, and he truly loves playing. And he left the monster math homework assignment until the very last night and then had to do it all at one time. Come watch him for half the summer do absolutely nothing except watch TV and maybe swim in the backyard a little. And, of course, EAT.
In reading my original post I know that I come across as that Dana Carvey old man character "we ate dirt, AND WE LIKED IT" kind of guy; but my point was we seem to be obsessed with idle time and devalue productive time. My parents grew up on the farm. They had a variety of chores to do every day and they were constantly in the presence of their fathers, working together. I can look back in my memory book and recall some of the finest "quality" time I had with my Dad was when we were working together. The fishing, hunting and camping were great too; but helping my Dad do a project let me appreciate him so much. And it taught me that I could do things too. I'm not sure if this makes sense to anyone else, but it does to me - AND I LIKE IT!
Okay, how 'bout we just skip to the real meaning of that statement:
"I don't like how you use your time and think you should be doing something I approve of as worthy instead."
I try not to say that to other people, but the "between the lines" diapproval is what hurts when it's said to me. Especially when they're talking about time spent reading blogs!
Alice McD
Time spent reading blogs is time well wasted. There can be no higher goal in life.
Can I get "Don't blame me, you're the breeder." put on a t-shirt?
Brilliant.
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