The 'Busy' Trap | Tim Kreider, NYTimes.com

Having been semi-retired for more than a year, I admire the point of this wonderful article.

Kreider writes:

Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets. The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration — it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.

And he concludes:

My own resolute idleness has mostly been a luxury rather than a virtue, but I did make a conscious decision, a long time ago, to choose time over money, since I’ve always understood that the best investment of my limited time on earth was to spend it with people I love. I suppose it’s possible I’ll lie on my deathbed regretting that I didn’t work harder and say everything I had to say, but I think what I’ll really wish is that I could have one more beer with Chris, another long talk with Megan, one last good hard laugh with Boyd. Life is too short to be busy.

I should note, however, that I called myself semi-retired above because I am actively seeking employment, freelance or contract opportunities. I need  to supplement my current minimal income until I am old enough to retire completely and begin collecting all my pension and Social Security proceeds.

Plus, I'm too young, energetic and creative to hang up editorial pencil!

For more information about that, see Garbl's Pencil & Good Cause Communications!

___________
This article is featured in my online paper for today (July 4), Garbl's Simple Dreams -- available at the Simplicity tab above and by free email subscription.