Someone was arguing in ‘The New Republic’ against the idea that everyone should be USING this time. They noted that everyone is saying we’re so lucky to have all this ‘new’ time.
But it’s not ‘new’ time - it was always there; we just haven’t been able to take it. Or, often, have chosen, however passively, not to.
I was talking to a friend about how one of the things we’re all having to rediscover, good and bad, is what it means to be a human being. Outside of the bonkers urban rat race. You eat. You sleep. You go outside sometimes. You talk to friends. You plant things if you can. You forage for food and hope you can get it - but are largely at the whims of what is in the market. (And imagine how much worse that could be - and may become.) You look after the kids and the elderly. You can’t travel much, but anyway why would you. Sometimes you’re bored. But you’re surprisingly less bored than you would think, and the days go fairly quickly. It’s an arresting contrast for a ‘metropolitan professional.’
At the other side is the revelation of the worst part of human existence. No job now? Sorry, time to starve. No friends or family? Sorry, you’re alone. No kids? Sorry. No outside space or room to plant? Sorry. Nowhere to live? Sorry.
When you bring it all together, doesn’t it really just make an argument for a fundamental rethinking of society which looks after those who need it, but starts to reduce - slightly, and in the right places - to the essentials. Not the bare essentials - no arguments for primitivism or survivalism here. But a recentring on care, community, localism, relationships. And fewer fucking spreadsheets.
Wake up call - the people in supermarkets and hospitals need to be at work, because they have real jobs. Those of us who do spreadsheets for a living: sorry, 80% of us (only 80%, mind, but it includes me), are pointless. So why do we have to do it? Can we work less, and play and care more?
I’m sick of producing - and am lucky to have been able to come to this conclusion in the preceding 6 months.
Still wish I could go to the pub or the pictures though.
