“Do not squander time…for that is the stuff life is made of” – Ben Franklin
This quote, better known to me as John Wilkes’ edict from his sign at Twelve Oaks (it’s not SBS if there’s no GWTW reference!) has always been one that stuck in my mind. My dictionary defines squander as to spend or use extravagantly. I don’t know about you all, but sometimes I’d like to squander time a little more often.
When was the last time you gave yourself an entire hour to do absolutely nothing? I know we are ultra-busy, over-scheduled and time-managed out the wazoo, but I worry this is to our detriment. Maybe if the idea of doing nothing isn’t your cup of tea, spend some time catching up with a dear friend. That always feels extravagant to me. The opposite of squander is to hoard, save or set aside. The truth is, while we can set aside some portion of our time…it’s actually quite impossible for us to hoard or save it. If time is truly just slipping through our fingers each day, shouldn’t we spend it like it’s going out of style? Something to think about.
Growing up, I can remember spending Sunday afternoons at my great-grandparents’ house on the farm, and the hours seemed to last forever. Nobody was in a hurry. There was plenty to eat and plenty of space on the living room floor to curl up for a nap afterward. If that’s considered squandering, then we mastered the art of it for sure!
Hope you have a chance to squander some time this week, even if just a few minutes! Happy Monday!
{porch swing image via}
