We have become remarkably good at filling the gaps. A queue becomes a chance to reply. A walk becomes a meeting. Even a quiet afternoon can feel like something that ought to produce a result.
Let a gap be a gap
There is another possibility: leave a little time unclaimed. Not as a strategy for doing more afterwards, but because a day can contain moments that do not need a justification.
A little time can belong to you without having to earn its place.
Attention is not a task
Watching the light move across a room will not complete a checklist. That may be part of its value. Some experiences are richer when we stop asking what they are useful for.
This is an argument for an ordinary freedom: occasionally, doing nothing at all should be enough.
This is an original sample essay created for the News Weekly interface. It is not reporting on a current event. Writer profiles and bylines are fictional.
Noah Williams
Noah explores the choices behind the numbers. He is especially interested in small businesses, working life, and the value of doing something well.
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