Wasting Time

One thing we Americans hate to do is "waste time." Whether it is in the check-out line at the grocery store, during our morning commute, or running errands on the weekend. It seems that we spend the vast majority of our waking hours getting things done as efficiently as possible. Implicit in the fear of wasting time is the notion that certain critical "things" won't get done. I wonder how often this assumption is accurate?

For instance, fifty years ago we had far more limited transportation, no internet or cell phones, little in the way of fast food, and the term "multitasking" hadn't even been coined yet! Yet somehow people managed to work a job, raise a family, and have some hobbies or pastimes. I don't mean to paint American society idealistically fifty years ago, indeed I do not think that is the case. Instead I am raising the question of how much our increased speed and activity has really benefited our quality of life?

A number of thinkers such as Eckhart Tolle, have proposed that by being so busy, we actually miss out on experiencing what is happening right now. In other words, we are effectively living outside the moment by focusing on accomplishing things in the future (or alternatively obsessing over the past). By living outside the moment we are literally not allowing ourselves to experience real life as it is unfolding, so in a very real sense we are wasting time!

Stopping to experience what is happening right now is often much harder than it appears. For example, walking to my car after work is a great excuse to lose myself in thought, instead of being present to my surroundings. Why would you want to be present to a parking lot you ask? Good question indeed. For one thing, it is real life occurring around you. You are a physical body located in space and time, which currently happens to be a Friday afternoon in an asphalt covered parking lot. Escaping this reality into mental abstraction is terribly tempting, but is it really beneficial to you and your quality of life. Something worth thinking about (no pun intended there!).

I wonder if we stand to learn a lot from other cultures that do not have this deeply ingrained fear of "wasting time?" For instance, during my summer stay in the impoverished country of Mozambique, I noticed that many inhabitants were content to allow the day to unfold at a leisurely pace, to respond to needs and situations as they arise, not obsessing over them in advance. I can't pretend to understand the Mozambican mindset, but I might offer that in a country where the life expectancy is a mere 47 years, that living "in the moment" becomes all that more critical then working toward the future. We have all heard stories or seen films regarding someone who found out that they only have 1 week to live, thus setting them on a fantastic journey to experience as much of life as possible in such a short time. Can you imagine someone who only had 1 week to live spending an inordinate amount of time working toward future goals? It would be silly, as at that point your only goal would be to live as fully as possible.

In the overall scheme of things, is 47 years (or 85 for that matter), really that much different than a week left to live? Of course no one can live all the time in the moment, some planning and working towards the future is inevitable. But will anyone lay on their deathbed and bemoan that they had not spent more time planning and working toward the future, or rather that they had not "wasted" more time in relationship with people and nature?

Freeganism

I just recently encountered the term freeganism, used to describe a movement of people committed to reducing waste. From wiki, "Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed." Wow, doesn't that sound wonderful! Indeed, while it is a cool new term, it is an idea that is rooted in the founding works of many of our religious traditions. It has become much easier to be a freegan with the social networking provided through sites such as Freecycle or FreeAlert. People are empowered to share quality used items with other individuals, and since everyone can both give and receive, the desire to make a profit is removed. In my experience it is actually a cleansing feeling to give something away!

Another aspect of freegan life is dumpster diving, an activity that I have had recent encounters with, following the lead of two professional dumpster divers, Dee and Becky. Dumpster diving is a rare win-win for the individual and the environment, as "waste" food is used to feed families, reducing the impact on both the pocketbook and the environment!

A great introduction to freeganism can be found on GroovyGreen's blog, check it out. I certainly do not qualify as a freegan, as I am still stuck in the consumer model our economy is built around, but as I continually deconstruct my own consumerist mentality, I hope to begin my freegan novitiate.

High Expectations at Work

I found this Utne article to be very telling. Indeed, while I am a Generation X'er, I have found that my work experiences have met with similar frustrations. It is illuminating and a bit humbling to recognize how egotistical my peers and I have approached the workforce. Now 6.5 years into my working career, I can see how the following statement accurately described me only a few years ago.

Nurtured on a steady diet of self-esteem, the swaggeringly confident children of the ’80s and ’90s are flying the nest and starting to land in the workforce. They’re clamoring for quick feedback, meaningful involvement, and pumped-up recognition—and roiling old-school colleagues who dub them impatient, needy, and arrogant. The kids are frustrated too: Entry-level duties are a far cry from the dream jobs they’ve been made to feel are their birthright.

Indeed, entering the work force post-college can be quite a shock. After years of performance driven education, in which you received continuous recognition of your development (grades), you enter an often slower paced work environment, where fitting into the system is often more important than your individual performance. I thought the following comment was spot on:

Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford, says we’re too focused on
results with young people, and it has taught them to value performance instead
of process.

Valuing performance over process is something that I have definitely been guilty of. Indeed, I would say my education experiences trained me in this regard! So it comes as no surprise that many of us have a rough transition to the work environment, often leading to disillusionment or depression. The author notes that depression is now more common for those in their 20s and 30s than it is for older generations.

There is a silver lining to the changes that are afoot. Indeed, it is even exciting to anticipate the coming changes in the workplace as employers adapt to the needs of Gen Y'ers.

While previous generations rebelled against the cubicle-to-coffin mentality
and struggled for workplace flexibility and improved benefits, here’s a
generation that wants to get feedback, have input, and engage in meaningful
work. They want the companies to which they commit to be environmentally,
socially, and personally accountable. “I think young people are putting us
to task because they want managers to do their jobs—to develop people,” says
Martin. “We’ve got to make the distinction between unrealistic expectations
and high expectations that are calling us to be better.”

The sobering reality is that not all employers will step up to the challenge (I suspect mine will not). What this will mean for the long term viability of some companies remains to be seen, but I suspect that most creative and ambitious Gen Y'ers will not stick around at companies that do not embrace a new paradigm. Dynamic companies such as Google will attract the best and brightest of the current generation, the rest will depend on the aging baby boomer generation to keep their competitive edge.

Nothing New Under the Sun

I find it interesting that recent trends in American society are really re-discoveries of ancient truth. At times it even seems ironic that certain movements are touted as a "new" idea, it makes me wonder if we in America have a short-sighted view of human history? Some of the many new-old trends in American society are home birthing and midwifery, co-sleeping, organic gardening, slow foods, whole foods, buying local, intentional communities, homeopathy and natural medicines, etc. I find it interesting that we have to rediscover such ancient truths, it begs the question of why we moved away from these in the first place? It seems to me that in most cases we moved away from what is normal and healthy due to expediency, hubris, or a combination of the two.

What new-old trends have you observed in society?