Mental Meanderings

The productivity of time wasted.

I was flicking over some of my favorite bloggers just now when and entry in Dan's Journal, "Invalid Entry" , caught my attention. You should all read it, and then read some of Dan's other entries and get addicted like I am.

Anyway, Dan mentions the way we spend time, 'waste' time, use our free time, are productive or 'un-'productive with our time. The examples he gives made me really see how much of what I do with my day seems self-centered. It benifits no one by myself and so in a sense if we followed Dan's hypothesis I would be making huge withdrawls on an already indebted bank account of time.

But then I started wondering. Because while at that moment (or this one come to speak of it) I might feel like I'm doing nothing of value, we still don't know the ultimate purpose of this moment. Right now I'm writing this blog entry obviously and while I'm NOT writing something more valuable for me (such as a story I'm trying to bring myself to begin) and berating myself for 'procrastinating', this entry serves a purpose.

Writing this is writing, which helps reassure my mind that writing is not such a daunting prospect. Writing this is educating, because I'm looking within me for the words and the answers to my thoughts and questions and coming to knew awarenesses. Writing this is entertaining, to the other readers and myself when I come back to read it again in the future. Thus, while part of me claims it's a waste of my time, another knows it is not time wasted.

I can say the same for everything I spend my time on:

Reading = studying other writers structure, appreciating the way words can be used, examining plotline constructions, and learning correct grammar and spelling (or incorrect because their proof reader has a less keen eye then my own).

Playing Video Games = appreciating the intricate weaves of storylines to interactive user approaches, seeing how words with pictures melt to create a feel of time, place, and reason, seeing the way words are condensed to give as much meaning with less space, evaluating the way various dialogues and occassional monologues can be used to project plotlines, how various plotlines and sub-plots can be woven into a single setting, watching how action scenes are portrayed on screen, examining settings and environment in relation to story.

Watching TV = A great deal of the above, seeing how story is translated to script, appreciating the differences between how a story is written for paper and writing for picture, hearing how people interact and how dialogue sounds when crafted or not crafted, seeing which stories and plotlines are overused, underused, particularly appreciated by the community, relating to today's people and learning how the majority spend their time, what they watch, what they value etc.

So many purposes and leasons given in every moment of 'wasted', seemingly 'un-'productive time. Dan, when you 'THOUGHT' you were 'just doing nothing, watching Springer' you were actually learning a great deal about society and the way people of varying cultures and classes interact with each other and their community. How arguements non-scripted can progress and how a master manipulator can turn situations to greater benifit of his own purpose. (Yes we cast Jerry as arch-nemisis because ultimately he does work his audience and his guests for maximum viewing 'pleasure')

So, in conclusion, I've just given myself perfect reasons to continue wasting as much time as I want. *grins* I'm not in debt in that bank account of time, I'm a millionaire. I have every moment of the rest of my life left in that bank and it's impossible to truly waste any of it. Every moment lived, is lived and I wouldn't change any second, because who knows, if I'd not done that (no matter what that was) then this moment may never have happened.