In the old Snuffy Smith comic strip, cartoonist Fred Lasswell would sometimes have him rushing from one place to another, uttering, “Time’s a-wastin’!”
In recent days, I keep finding more and more time-wasters in my life. Recently, when my children and grandchildren began forwarding stuff from Facebook in my direction — photos of themselves, comments about what they’re up to — I decided I’d better get an account so I can stay informed. Whoa. What a pandora’s box that opened up.
“I want this-person (fill in the blank) to be my friend.” “You are now friends with that-person (fill in the blank).”
Now, don’t misunderstand. I treasure every friend and want all I can get and intend to enjoy the ones I have even more. But on this Friday morning, I quickly saw that my Facebook jottings (replying to this friend, commenting to that one) used up a full hour. Was this good or not? I’m of two minds on that.
Most days, when the mail comes, either in this office or at home, it’s a rarity to receive an actual first-class letter. Those are almost relics of the past. We can cry over it, worry about what the world is coming to, and find plenty of old-timers who agree, but it’s not going to change a thing. This generation stays in touch through the internet and sites like Facebook. (I am aware there are other similar sites out there, some for Christians only and such, but please — no one tell me about them and urge me to join. One is enough.)
The early Jerry Lewis had a line I’ve quoted for years which fits here: “Enough is enough and too much is plenty!”
I’ve decided the people who can get the most benefit from sites like Facebook are retirees. Most of them (soon to be me, too) have more time than folks with jobs. But for normal people with families and small children and jobs and other demands, they have to really watch it or these things can sponge up all their time and energy and brain power.
I heard a fellow say the best way he’s found to spend time on a plane is with solitaire on his laptop. For others, it’s Sudoku. And for someone else, it’s a favorite movie on DVD.
And did we mention texting?
There are times to be sure when it’s perfectly acceptable to waste a little time. My sisters and our nearly-93 year-old mother sat in a doctor’s waiting room for 2 hours Wednesday of this week. The same afternoon I killed an hour in the tire store while my car was being serviced and the wheels rotated. That’s why I’m never without a book (or to be exact, a half-dozen in the trunk of my car).
Time in a waiting room provides a good opportunity to sift through magazines I would never see otherwise, and maybe pick up some insights. That’s how, a few years ago, sitting in that same tire store’s holding pen, I came across the Sports Illustrated article highlighting the “top 10 comebacks of all time.” This was soon after the Arizona Diamondbacks had beat the Yankees in the World Series, as I seem to recall. Was that 2001? Anyway, the SI article listed among its picks for the greatest-ever comebacks Elvis’ return after a hiatus, the recovery of Germany and Japan after the Second World War, Truman’s defeat of Dewey in ’48, and such. But the number one comeback of all times according to that article, was this: “A.D. 33 — Jesus Christ. Returns from the dead.”
Now, I knew that and you knew it, but it was outstanding to see that the editors of that sports publication would own up to it in print. I wrote an article about it, and was glad to see later it had been picked up in a dozen places and repeated. Countless preachers referred to that Sports Illustrated article in their Easter sermons.
There’s a lot to be said for having nothing to do for an hour or two. It was Blaise Pascal who said something to the effect that “all the evils in the world have come upon us because people cannot sit still in a room for an hour.”
This is the point where a good preacher would stop and rail against television as the chief time-waster of all. (Or the computer, which I’ve already mentioned, at least indirectly.) But that’s too easy. I happen to enjoy television.
I’m like a lot of my friends in that, with an hour to kill before something important is happening, I will often turn on the television just to see what’s on. My friend Ted Shepherd of Greenville, Mississippi, says, “The trouble is TV is too easy. It takes effort to read.” I agree. But on the other hand, if it’s the right program — whatever that means — it’s every bit as uplifting and restful as the book is.
The biggest time-waster regarding television is channel-surfing. You didn’t find anything on worth watching, but you keep scanning the channels as though something miraculous is going to pop up. Not good. Once you see there’s nothing worth your time, hit the “power” switch. Now, look for the unusual book to read.
The bottom line for me — this could go on forever, I know — is that a few minutes to fill provides a great time to do something we would not have planned to do earlier and probably wouldn’t have done otherwise.
Of course, what happened to me in that tire store Wednesday was that workers from the back kept coming in. “Hey, I saw the drawings you did of the people on the counter. Can you do me?” And after that, it was the customers.
Oh well. That’s good, too. I always figure they’ll take the drawing home and feel a little better about themselves or their day, and then, they might even go to my website. If they spend a few minutes there, they’ll might click on to “How to Know Jesus Christ and Live Forever.” And wouldn’t that be great.
Time’s up. I’ve got to get to work.
Bro. Joe,
I get so confused on Facebook I feel like an idiot and I have a few hours over a Master’s Degree. Of couse, that was in Special Ed. Maybe that’s why.All my friends, my relatives… send me “_____” has a message for you on Facebook. Sometimes I can’t even find the message.
Lara J
Greenville
How many times have I looked at the clock while reading a book, checking email, watching a nature show and thought “oh, no I have clothes to wash, dishes to wash, kids to bathe, etc…”? It has to be millions. I keep a tight ship of a house dispite my hobby of gathering info to stuff in my brain. The last thing I need is a facebook/myspace compulsion.
I am a people person/people watcher/ex-social worker so that stuff would draw me in like a black hole.
Just wait till you see your facebook wall on your birthday. It’s really kinda fun!
Facebook has helped me get n touch with so many people from my past. It can become a “black hole” if you let it, but it is a perfectly managable social networking tool. We live in an age of email and instant messaging; where the need to share is right away and the information is important and cannot wait for the pace of the USPS. I hardly use the USPS anymore; for one thing they are so unimaginably slow and rudeness seems to be the order of the day. In a true free market; the USPS would have been out of business years ago.
I loved this article, Joe. I, too, was convinced by my daughter, Casey, to “get on board!” I have re-connected with many, many people from the past, however, and I find myself looking forward to the little time I have for Facebook. I find that as I’ve gotten older, I just don’t have the concentration to READ anything while waiting in an office or anywhere else…..seems I’m too easily distracted. So I found another good way to wait: I keep a small box of notecards in my bag, and, of course, I always have a pen, so I write notes to friends and family. I, too, miss the “snail mail” that used to frequently appear in my mailbox, but has gone into neverland! Personal, handwritten notes are just about a thing of the past, but I still treasure any I DO receive. My mother loved to write and receive letters more than anyone I’ve ever known, and even though she can’t write anymore, I do it for her, and she strains her eyes everyday looking for the postman……hoping to get something in written form from someone she loves. There are more phone calls than letters these days, but she’d still rather have something tangible that she can hold and read over and over and over again than a brief telephone conversation. Thanks again for your insight, and I’ll see you on FB!!!!
I used to have this posted on my TV, but now it applies to every medium. “The television (or fill in the blank) is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.” Good word, Joe.
Everyone’s experiences are different and unique.
I have to say our local postal workers are fantastic. In our small town you get to know them well and they definately go above and beyond. I do a great deal of package traffic with them but I tend to rely on email for personal correspondence.
I love the comment about technology being a good servant. Anything other than God is a terrible master and He gives us the power to keep the right order.
I too have found many friends from the youth group in Columubus that I had lost contact with. Lots of pictures have been posted too from that time. Thanks for accepting me as a friend!
I must confess that I too recently became a member of facebook. Indeed I found several long lost friends.
Yet Jesus is the ultimate friend. For those who are in Christ, Jesus was, and is our friend–with or without facebook. If He had or needed (which He doesn’t) a computer, you would be his facebook friend!
Here’s hoping he doesn’t find out about Twitter… 😛
Your comment was my LOL moment this morning, thanks Marty. Like Dr. Joe/Dad, I’m still trying to figure out Facebook … don’t even talk to me about Twitter or texting. They are more than I can handle.
I am late reading this. You need a Facebook guru like I have next door (my daughter). 🙂 I scream help regularly and she is sweet enough to help. But I am getting better at it and we haven’t starved or gone without clean clothes yet. I have also found old friends with which I have reconnected. I think what I most enjoy is just jotting those little notes to people to say “hope you feel better” or “sorry to hear about…” to let them know someone read what they wrote and cares. It’s a social network and while I do have local friends I keep in contact with, there are a lot of people I may never physically meet but care about and can keep up with. I used to Twitter but got rid of that. I do text now that I have a soldier in my life. Simple way to get quick news. To each his own. 🙂
I hate to wait and do nothing. I always have a crochet hook and yarn with me. But if you don’t crochet or knit, and don’t want to read a book, get an iPhone or one of those Internet plug in things so you can use laptop at the doctor or wherever.