Whittling personal time away

[shootingstar]

So someone was just chatting about use of one's personal time. Below must someone akin to maybe semi-tired or unemployed.. Last few yrs., I embarrassingly don't use my  time productively...compared to ie. nearly 40 yrs. ago when I was working after graduation, plus volunteering, sewing, some reading and taking evening art courses. I probably have taken 9 different art courses, usually  3 hrs./ session for 4-8 wks. per course. This is over a 30 yr. period....which is  taking courses at a leisurely pace.  Not jammed into 2 yrs.

Back decades ago, my time was alot less sucked up by Internet-related stuff/ wanderings.

I will say, when I was involved in volunteer work (over 9 year period, each phase 1 different organization), I probably spent no more than 3-6 hrs.  per month. Then there was  the occasional social event, dinner after a meeting..always a bonus/good thing where I did form some friendships/learned more.

[JerrySTL ★]

My family knows that I Whittle my time away.

[shootingstar]

55 minutes ago, JerrySTL said:

My family knows that I Whittle my time away.

At least you try to cycle often. 

Let's see today: after shower, breakfast & Internet checking, prepped 5 Christmas cards to mail-out (these people live in other provinces..so at least I give them something physical in lieu of me), I took the LRT for 15 min.  ride and get  off to print off my covid appt. QR code, some other stuff plus a training manual that needs updating here and there (it's 100 p. long..so I need to skip-scan read parts instead of linearally scroll online). Then walked 3 km. to a cafe for my lunch, read my book about mushrooms and fungi (this is on best-seller non-fiction list),  and later light grocery shopping at store before home.

Then washed stovetop, etc. I probably have a an early supper, etc. Take out garbage.  I guess that's all maybe under 2 hrs. of housework..even though lots of documentation I should separate.

I have enough incredible free, yet wasteful chunks of personal time. No, I didn't cycle but later discovered I miscalculated --it wasn't that icy after all. Now it's snowing this afternoon..

 

[Dottleshead ★]

So why the heck are you measuring personal time in terms of productivity?  My personal time is successfully defined if I'm being anti-productive.  And why the hell are you putting that crap in a spreadsheet??  Just saying.

[ChrisL]

Now that the kids are grown and I changed industries I have way more personal time than ever before.  No more hopping to & from practice & games for two kids, PTA, booster meetings & oh yeah a very busy job.  

I’m still really digging the me time to do anything I want or nothing at all. 

[Dottleshead ★]

22 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

I’m still really digging the me time to do anything I want or nothing at all. 

The best productive me-time one can do.

[shootingstar]

13 minutes ago, Dottles said:

So why the heck are you measuring personal time in terms of productivity?  My personal time is successfully defined if I'm being anti-productive.  And why the hell are you putting that crap in a spreadsheet??  Just saying.

I never use spreadsheets to track my personal time. Getting me to do a monthly budget estimate on personal expenses is a super achievement.... in the last 2 yrs. I only do an estimate 1-2 times / yr.  As long as the roof is not falling inward, slough in a few dollars into a savings/investment account and  have food daily on table  with my latte, I'm not spreadsheeting...

Dottles, we're supposed to make a difference in  someone's life...especially for those without children. Don't you feel an ounce of guilt??    I actually feel like a nap in afternoon but that will destroy my sleep pattern which I'm struggling to get back on track.  It's been a mind-heart bending yr.

[shootingstar]

24 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Now that the kids are grown and I changed industries I have way more personal time than ever before.  No more hopping to & from practice & games for two kids, PTA, booster meetings & oh yeah a very busy job.  

I’m still really digging the me time to do anything I want or nothing at all. 

My sister who has been  working full-time except for maternity leaves for 3 children, now find their house too big with hubby. 1 son with  GF,  is now in CA, other 2 studying and living in another city. She and hubby did have busy life/weekends for 15+ yrs.,  schlepping each child to gymnastics, soccer, hockey.. year round. I'm glad for her she can still  slow down ..they check in his mom and she checks our mom in town. I've been impressed she even found time to send me gift or make me 2 masks.

I'm only pushed to be organized, ....because my paid career  is predicated on organizing information  so it makes sense for others and it's searchable.. Otherwise am a  personal  slouch at home.  

The city where I live, hasn't yet lit a volunteer fire in me.  With covid, it creates another barrier to try new things with other (new) people for a sustained period of time.

[Dottleshead ★]

17 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Dottles, we're supposed to make a difference in  someone's life...especially for those without children. Don't you feel an ounce of guilt??    I actually feel like a nap in afternoon but that will destroy my sleep pattern which I'm struggling to get back on track.  It's been a mind-heart bending yr.

Well, now, kudos to you for striking back.  I do feel a bit guilty for not making a difference in someone's life -- but I attribute this to my coming to terms with severing my relationship with my immediate family.  Not causing problems for others, not wanting to control others, bringing in a high-tech salary into basically an agrarian economy, paying my share of taxes, and spending my money locally makes me feel good. But I would feel better if I did a little more. I'm still in the process of figuring what and how that looks like.  But it's not going to be at a big cost.  I'm old(er) and the world continues to evolve around me just fine w/o me.  I'm not interested in working with the homelessness, or the drug/addict angle, nor am I interested in promoting any incorporated entities agenda -- whether that's classified as volunteering or not.  I help in small other ways that I'm not going to disclose here but I do/want to do a bit more.  But not a lot more. 

[shootingstar]

22 minutes ago, Dottles said:

Well, now, kudos to you for striking back.  I do feel a bit guilty for not making a difference in someone's life -- but I attribute this to my coming to terms with severing my relationship with my immediate family.  Not causing problems for others, not wanting to control others, bringing in a high-tech salary into basically an agrarian economy, paying my share of taxes, and spending my money locally makes me feel good. But I would feel better if I did a little more. I'm still in the process of figuring what and how that looks like.  But it's not going to be at a big cost.  I'm old(er) and the world continues to evolve around me just fine w/o me.  I'm not interested in working with the homelessness, or the drug/addict angle, nor am I interested in promoting any incorporated entities agenda -- whether that's classified as volunteering or not.  I help in small other ways that I'm not going to disclose here but I do/want to do a bit more.  But not a lot more. 

Volunteer work even if only a few hrs./month must be first in a  person's heart as a priority. I can say so affirmatively the areas I got involved  (but not so deep as other incredibly impassioned, energetic volunteers. Just incredible/inspiring...interviews with news media, meeting govn't folks, etc.),  did give back to me ..by building confidence in various work situations and learning how to speak up / introduce change in incremental steps. It helped how to work on the job in highly conservative/rigid organizations....you look out for outliers and befriend.  

The cycling world/advocacy is whole another area..there are some hardworking volunteers in that area..of which I lived with 1 of them ...for many years.

with nieces and nephews I'm not close....some are still evolving as young adults. For the oldest 2 ....who are in their 30's, I do feel a powerful sense as aunt to have a friendly distant presence in their lives since the death of their mother. I pass along little snippets/stories about our family line to them... since they are half-Chinese.  I'm very proud of them as good individuals and if only my sister was alive ...  These  are children  who I've known since they were babies.

My family knows well my volunteer work..now that I've written it up in a public blog post. Another advantage of blogging.. for me to explain something complicated but in a storytelling way.

 

[ChrisL]

58 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

My sister who has been  working full-time except for maternity leaves for 3 children, now find their house too big with hubby. 1 son with  GF,  is now in CA, other 2 studying and living in another city. She and hubby did have busy life/weekends for 15+ yrs.,  schlepping each child to gymnastics, soccer, hockey.. year round. I'm glad for her she can still  slow down ..they check in his mom and she checks our mom in town. I've been impressed she even found time to send me gift or make me 2 masks.

I'm only pushed to be organized, ....because my paid career  is predicated on organizing information  so it makes sense for others and it's searchable.. Otherwise am a  personal  slouch at home.  

The city where I live, hasn't yet lit a volunteer fire in me.  With covid, it creates another barrier to try new things with other (new) people for a sustained period of time.

We bought our place, 1,500 square foot 3 bedroom 2.5 bath when we were a family of 3 & no dog.  A year later we were a family of 4 & a dog and the place was a little tight.  The housing market took off in our area but we didn’t want to leave or get in over our heads so stayed put & were a little cramped. It was especially tight with two teenagers in the house.  

Now that one has moved out, the other lives at home 1/2 the time the house is feeling just right again. I’m glad we stuck it out as I do love the area even with the congestion. 

[shootingstar]

18 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

We bought our place, 1,500 square foot 3 bedroom 2.5 bath when we were a family of 3 & no dog.  A year later we were a family of 4 & a dog and the place was a little tight.  The housing market took off in our area but we didn’t want to leave or get in over our heads so stayed put & were a little cramped. It was especially tight with two teenagers in the house.  

Now that one has moved out, the other lives at home 1/2 the time the house is feeling just right again. I’m glad we stuck it out as I do love the area even with the congestion. 

It's a good feeling to like/enjoy the neighbourhood that's familiar to spend less hectic years.   My sister's home is over 2,300 sq ft. of living space...every time I visit, it feels abit cool..they are trying to save money on heating bill.  This is winter country after all..  I don't think she wanted such a big house, meaning especially one with quite high ceilings.  Before she married, she and her hubby/then boyfriend bought and lived in another smaller house for  7 yrs. before 1st child. 

My  building by coincidence  has a number of folks in their 40's and up.  Very few children live in our bldg. simply because more than 2 children it would be  tight. It is a quiet concrete building (contrary to what suburbanites think of downtown living) which dullens any sound transmission from other floors.  I know people talk about moving to retirement community... really I don't need that at all.. there are diverse ages living close by. Nor do I like folks in my generation bitching about younger folks/ or being perpetually puzzled.

By strange coincidence, there are number of residents in our area, who lived in Vancovuer at some point in their life. Or they have worked overseas. 

[shootingstar]

I hate to think how much time I'm on the 'Net, it's like watching too much tv. But usually I'm reading something (not always meaningful ) or scratching out some sort of trivia.  I just finished another blog post ready to go in 2022.  About neighbourhood where we grew up...it is now part of walking history local tour, complete with research details for the homes of neighbours I knew. Amazing several blocks of homes were researched and highlighted.  Even the house of our family doctor, where he had his patient medical office, which we always liked but didn't know until now its architectural history.

It's known locally, as the Christmas tree house because our childhood family doctor  for decades, used to put out a live Christmas tree with lights on the 2nd floor balcony. It's a white 1800's house, with black gabled roof and window shutters. After doctor died, his family carried on the tree tradition.

[Redfacedwalrus]

2 hours ago, shootingstar said:

At least you try to cycle often. 

Let's see today: after shower, breakfast & Internet checking, prepped 5 Christmas cards to mail-out (these people live in other provinces..so at least I give them something physical in lieu of me), I took the LRT for 15 min.  ride and get  off to print off my covid appt. QR code, some other stuff plus a training manual that needs updating here and there (it's 100 p. long..so I need to skip-scan read parts instead of linearally scroll online). Then walked 3 km. to a cafe for my lunch, read my book about mushrooms and fungi (this is on best-seller non-fiction list),  and later light grocery shopping at store before home.

Then washed stovetop, etc. I probably have a an early supper, etc. Take out garbage.  I guess that's all maybe under 2 hrs. of housework..even though lots of documentation I should separate.

I have enough incredible free, yet wasteful chunks of personal time. No, I didn't cycle but later discovered I miscalculated --it wasn't that icy after all. Now it's snowing this afternoon..

 

You'll always be setting a higher bar than someone! For example, I just woke up, and I haven't gotten out of bed, yet.

Youth is wasted on the me

[shootingstar]

17 minutes ago, Redfacedwalrus said:

You'll always be setting a higher bar than someone! For example, I just woke up, and I haven't gotten out of bed, yet.

Youth is wasted on the me

Redfwal, you're pretty good. There's probably a good reason for sleeping in. You're probably practicing on your violin several times/ month/wk or who knows, you might sing.  Tell us..  Do you get a mark under your jawline...with the violin resting beneath?